I usually dedicate a weekend in November to sorting out old stuff, decluttering, and preparing the apartment for cleaning. I would like to do this before I start decorating for the holidays because it gives the home a fresher look and feel. As I mentioned, most of us experience stress in the final weeks leading up to the end of the year. 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,” when I was also 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 […]

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 joy and happiness for most people, they can be quite bittersweet for […]