Home for the Holidays: How Spending Christmas in Your Hometown Can Supercharge Your Productivity While Working Abroad
- flaminiavisionfact
- 2 days ago
- 4 min read
Author: Flaminia Baldella
Moving abroad is a big change in your life that comes with both excitement and worry. This can be an amazing experience for both personal and professional growth, but it is clear that there are both good and bad things about it. There will be greater freedom and independence, chances to meet new people, an immersive cultural experience, and more. However there will also be times when you feel lonely and alone, a limited social life, culture shock, and problems with everyday life and homesickness, especially during holidays and special events. For this reason, going home for Christmas is especially meaningful: it is a uniquely powerful time to return home. No matter how cold it is outside, the welcome you get, the big hugs and the excited conversations are all toasty warm. Seeing loved ones and enjoying those unique traditions is something you just can't replicate anywhere else. Returning home for Christmas often evokes a range of positive emotions. For professionals residing away from their home country or city, this circumstance often engenders heightened happiness, relaxation, and enthusiasm, thereby contributing to a robust sense of emotional well-being. Employees exhibiting elevated emotional well-being frequently manifest diminished anxiety and depression, increased adaptability to change, and enhanced motivation and commitment to their professional duties. Empirical studies have repeatedly shown that emotionally well employees are more inclined to be engaged and motivated in their work. As a result, positive emotions lead to enhanced focus, creativity, and better problem-solving skills, which then boosts productivity.
Emotional Recharging Through Family Connection
Returning home for the Christmas holidays brings a familiar set of comforts:
• mum's cooking and her lovely attentions, making you feel like a kid again;
• old friends from school, ready for a drink and a chat;
• family pets, always thrilled to see you;
• sharing laughs with your siblings.
These moments give people living abroad a chance to feel like a child again. They provide emotional security and a sense of belonging. They help them embrace the Christmas spirit, set aside work-related stress, and enjoy precious time with family, forgetting the loneliness that can sometimes creep in when living in another city. Therefore, the positive emotions we first identified also include emotional security and a strong sense of belonging. These feelings, in turn, boost professionals' motivation, focus, and creativity. What may seem like the simple pleasure of returning home for Christmas not only supports emotional well-being but also positively affects professional productivity.
Mental Reset From a High-Pressure Work Environment
As mentioned above, living abroad represents a significant opportunity for both personal and professional growth. However, it also presents many challenges, necessitating significant effort. These challenges include the adoption of new habits, the reconstruction of social networks, and the consistent application of a foreign language in both professional and personal contexts, all of which increase the overall difficulty. Therefore, taking a temporary break from demanding routines abroad allows individuals to reconnect with family, renew old friendships, and spend time in their hometown, helping to restore mental clarity. Stepping away from a high-pressure work setting allows for real psychological recovery. This leads to improved focus, motivation, and productivity once they return after the Christmas holidays.
Renewed Motivation and Sense of Purpose
Coming back home for Christmas time gives individuals the opportunity to spend quality time with their family. It provides them the chance to have real and deep conversations, and this can be very useful for aligning personal and career aspirations. “The family is our first social circle and, as such, shapes our values, beliefs, and aspirations. Therefore, the role it plays in personal and professional motivation is fundamental” says Silvia Soria, mentor in vocational guidance and conscious entrepreneurship. Sharing goals with family members can strengthen a sense of accountability and create an emotional safety net, making ambitious aspirations feel more achievable. The unconditional support offered by family fosters confidence and emotional stability, turning it into a lasting source of encouragement when pursuing goals or facing challenges. “This can also motivate us to work harder, seek opportunities for growth, and take calculated risks,” adds the mentor in career guidance and conscious entrepreneurship.
Better Work–Life Balance and a Cognitive Boost From Real Rest
Many of us move through life with the feeling that we’re simply “too busy to rest.” We live in a culture that celebrates productivity but often forgets about sustainability and well-being. During the holidays, it becomes easier to set healthier boundaries and allow real restoration. Genuine rest means creating an environment where the nervous system can regain balance, creativity can re-emerge, and the spirit can truly relax. At home, people have the chance to care for their nervous system through simple, soothing activities that encourage a gradual unwinding. For example: a long soak in the tub, a steaming cup of tea, reading by candlelight, or immersing oneself in a creative activity that fully captures your attention. These intentional breaks give the nervous system a chance to recuperate, preparing to "upshift" when life and work call for concentration and vigor. Rest isn't a luxury; it's fundamental to a well-lived and sustainable life.
Practical Tips to Maximize the Productivity Boost
To maximize the productivity boost, it is very important to:
● Be present, not always “on.”
– Tell colleagues and clients your out-of-office dates.
– Use an automatic reply with your return date and an emergency contact.
● Set realistic expectations before you leave.
– Finish only what truly must be done.
– Move non-urgent tasks to after the holidays.
● Capture insights before going back abroad.
– Note any ideas or decisions that came up while you were home.
– Turn them into a few clear goals for your return.
Conclusion
In conclusion, going home for Christmas becomes more than a simple holiday. It turns into an emotional, mental, and motivational reset that supports both your well-being and your long-term professional growth.
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