December is tough. Teams are racing to hit year-end goals while juggling holiday commitments. This puts a lot of pressure on everyone’s mental health and work quality.
Understanding the perfect storm
Work gets intense during year-end.
There are deadlines to meet, projects to wrap up, and performance reviews to handle.
Add in family obligations, money stress, and those dark winter days, and you’ve got a recipe for team burnout.
Spotting the signs
The holidays can mask real problems at work.
While everyone’s talking about festive plans and year-end celebrations, team members might be silently struggling. That’s why it’s crucial to watch for subtle changes in how your team acts and works.
Look for these telling signs:
- Less chatting in team channels
- Quiet meetings with low participation
- Work that’s not up to usual standards
- More friction between teammates
- Downward trends in mood surveys
This is where regular pulse checks become super valuable — they help you catch problems early.
Making work more manageable
When stress levels rise, even simple tasks can feel overwhelming. Small changes in how you manage workload can make a huge difference in how people cope.
Here’s what works:
- Flex those hours: Let people work when it suits them best. Some need morning time for school runs, others are more productive later in the day.
- Crystal clear priorities: Tell your team exactly what matters most. No guessing games about what needs to get done first.
- Breathing room: Build in extra time. Things pop up during the holidays, and your team needs space to handle the unexpected.
Taking action as a leader
The way you respond to pressure sets the tone for everyone else. When you show flexibility and understanding, your team feels more comfortable asking for help when they need it.
Simple steps make a big difference:
- Share the load when someone’s plate is too full
- Dial back expectations to something doable
- Block off “quiet hours” for focused work
- Sort out who covers what during vacation time
Spreading some joy
The end of the year is a perfect time to boost team spirit and show your people they matter. Small moments of appreciation can lift everyone’s mood and help push through the tough spots.
End the year on a high note:
- Give shout-outs for great work
- Get together to celebrate wins
- Take time to reflect as a team
- Show you care with small gestures
Moving forward
Teams handle stress better when they feel safe and supported. This doesn’t just help during the holidays — it builds stronger teams for the whole year ahead.
Using TeamMood in that context is like having a finger on the pulse of your team’s wellbeing, helping you create the kind of workplace where people can do their best work, even during busy times.
Check out TeamMood
- TeamMood increases feedback frequency. Get daily or weekly notifications to everyone in your team in just a few minutes after signing up.
- TeamMood is fun. The only thing your teammates need to do is click on their corresponding mood and they are done. Written comments are optional. It’s perfect to start getting more feedback. And it’s easy and quick enough to keep this habit in the long term.
- TeamMood is anonymous. Your teammates won’t be scared to give honest feedback because their identity is hidden.
- TeamMood helps you transform feedback into action. Our analytics dashboard help you monitor and analyze feedback to uncover actionable insights more easily.
Learn more about TeamMood
and sign up here
Header photo by Nasa