​It's the end of the year and the festive season is right around the corner. Unfortunately, not all of us will be going on a three-week vacation. If you are part of the bunch that will be in the office over December, don't despair. In this blog, Network Recruitment will give you tips on how you can use your time wisely so that you start 2018 feeling prepared and in control. Here's how:Clear your inbox

With colleagues on leave and your phone not ringing so often you have time to attend to the endless e-mails clogging up your inbox. This is the time to read outstanding e-mails and decide how best to deal with them, whether this means responding, archiving or deleting. If there are some e-mails that require your attention, now is the time to take action.

Tidy your workspace

While the rest of your colleagues might have a messy and disorganised desk to deal with when they return from vacation, you can take this time to tidy your workspace. Not only will your desk be clean and organised, your mind will thank you for it in January.

Utilise your lunch hour

At last, you actually have time to enjoy your lunch break! Pack a nutritious lunch and bring along the novel you've been longing to read for weeks. Better yet, bring your training gear to work and go for a walk or an express spin class at the gym.

Finalise planning for 2018

Take some time to do thorough planning for the year ahead; start with general year planning and include events, project deadlines, public holidays etc. In addition, focus on the first three months of 2018 by jotting down some to-do items for this period. This could also be a great time to do some career planning by taking conducting acareer audit.

Don't stick around if you don't need to

Many companies allow their employees to knock-off early on certain days in December. Furthermore, some managers are quite comfortable with employees leaving work a little earlier if things are slow. Take advantage of these offers and don't feel obliged to stay until the end of the workday unless you absolutely must.

Take a break as soon as you can

For various reasons, some professionals choose not to take a break from the office during December. However, it is important to make plans to enjoy some kind of a break during the year to reduce the chances of burnout. 

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