I usually dedicate a weekend in November or December to sorting out old stuff, decluttering, and preparing the apartment for cleaning. I want to do this before I start decorating for the holidays because it gives the home a fresher spirit. As I mentioned, most of us get stressed the last few weeks before the year-end. We wish to focus more on family and friends during the holidays, and at the same time, work pressure usually increases.  During my corporate career, we always had “comp season,” where you might also be working on performance reviews and trying to accomplish new projects. I’m currently in what I call “the Post-It Phase.” Yes, I had to admit it, but this is the […]

The holiday season is upon us, I am sure most of us are ready for a well-deserved break from work. Why do I bring this up? There are two main reasons for discussing it. The first, the more generally known reason is that the human body needs a break to recover motivation and energy. Extensive research by Harvard Business Review has found that more holiday time not only improves energy levels and happiness but is also linked to improved success rate and chances of promotion. You can read the findings of this research here. The second reason is specifically for expat professionals. While the holidays may be a time of joy and happiness for most people, they can be quite […]