Episode Sponsor - Wix Studio
We'd like to thank this episode's sponsor for their support!
Wix Studio: The Web Platform for Agencies and Enterprises
Wix Studio is the new web platform tailored to designers, developers and marketers who build websites for others or for large organizations. The magic of Wix Studio is its advanced design capabilities which makes website creation efficient and intuitive.
Check out Wix Studio today.
How to support the show
Patreon
Prices subject to change and are listed in USD
- Support the show from as little as ~$1/month
- Get a shoutout at the end of the episode (while supplies last) for just ~$3/month
- Help support the HTML All The Things Podcast: Click Here
Show Notes
1. Introduction
- "Holidays are meant to be a time of rest, but for web developers, they can sometimes feel like just another workweek—with extra stress."
- I think we’ve all had some weird server issue or customer support calls on Christmas.
- Preview what the episode will cover:
- Tips to set boundaries with clients and managers.
- Strategies to avoid burnout.
- Ideas for making the most of your time off.
2. Pre-Holiday Planning
- Communicate early and set boundaries:
- Tips for notifying clients and teams well in advance about your holiday availability.
- Example: "Hey, I’ll be offline from Dec. 24th to Jan. 2nd. If there are any urgent items, let’s finalize them by Dec. 20th."
- Discuss the importance of over-communicating timelines, especially for freelance developers.
- Delegate or document tasks:
- If you work on a team, leave documentation for any critical systems or processes.
- If solo, identify a trusted peer or backup point of contact.
- Prepare for emergencies
- Automate responses (e.g., email autoresponders, Slack statuses).
- Create a "holiday playbook" for recurring issues clients might face.
- Set a on-call schedule so that’s it’s clear that someone is on call and provide a set of instructions for on call engineers. Try to split the time evenly so everyone has a chance to completely disconnect.
3. Disconnecting Effectively
- Why it’s crucial to unplug:
- Talk about how continuous connectivity affects mental health and creativity.
- Share a personal story (or a hypothetical one) about being tethered to a laptop during family gatherings.
- Actionable tips to stay offline:
- Turn off non-essential notifications (phone, email, Slack).
- Log out of work accounts/apps on personal devices.
- Set clear “Do Not Disturb” times for yourself—and enforce them.
- Say no without guilt:
- Discuss the long-term benefits of saying "no" to non-urgent requests.
- Example response: "I’d love to help, but I’m prioritizing my time off right now. Let’s revisit this in January. (or Feb or March)"
- Don’t push everything to January
- It’s easy to say “lets do this in January to every request but what that does is just set you up for failure to deliver in January and a bad start to he year.
- Be ok with pushing stuff out longer to Feb and March to be realistic if it’s something that can be pushed back
4. Avoiding Burnout Before, During, and After the Holidays
- Don’t overcommit in December:
- Say no to extra work that creeps up before the holidays, even if it’s tempting.
- No starting projects after the 10th of December, ongoing is fine but if someone comes to you with something new it’s pushed to after new years
- Embrace a true break:
- Discuss why stepping away entirely—even from learning or side projects—is restorative.
- Encourage listeners to practice “rest without guilt.”
- Start January with realistic expectations:
- You won’t be able to complete all of your tasks you delayed in the first week you’re back
- Set realistic goals for the first few days you’re back so you can built momentum
- First tasks can be just prioritizing your next week
- Don’t jump back into your most complex feature and try to pump it out
5. Making the Most of Your Time Off
- Reconnect with hobbies:
- Suggest fun, creative, or even tech-adjacent activities (e.g., building a personal project just for fun, exploring a new interest).
- Quality time with family and friends:
- Share ideas for tech-free traditions or meaningful ways to spend time with loved ones.
- Holiday side projects—if you must:
- Mention light, no-pressure side projects as a way to scratch the coding itch while still relaxing.
- Example: Creating a fun Christmas-themed game or web app.
- Reflect and recharge:
- Encourage journaling or reflecting on professional growth and goals for the next year.
