You should take advantage of the Christmas vacation to rejuvenate and regain your wits. After a busy semester, we have time to relax with our loved ones, indulge in hobbies, watch television, discover new interests, and listen to new albums. Taking breaks is essential for keeping our minds sharp and refreshed, and making sure we take care of our emotional and physical state. Without them, burnout becomes a serious risk—which we all want to avoid! It is also important to step away from school and use this time to care for yourself. It’s easy to get swept up and distracted because of how occupied we are in school, however, it’s important to reconnect with ourselves the best we can before starting the new semester. So here’s how you can use your time wisely and have an amazing reset over the winter break!

First, how can we use our time to relax and reconnect? Christmas break is the perfect time to slow down and focus on relaxation. Spend quality time with family and friends, whether it’s by sharing holiday meals, playing games, or enjoying festive traditions together. If that’s too much for you and you’d like some quiet time, try watching some of your favorite holiday movies and winter TV shows! Then there’s also always the option to cozy up in a blanket by the fire and read a new book you’ve been waiting to have time for. It’s also important to focus on yourself. Taking long walks and practicing meditation is the perfect way to show mindfulness. Whether it’s a 2-minute meditation from your bed or a 30-minute meditation from a hiking spot, both can immensely help you reconnect with your peace. Small moments like these can help restore balance to our everyday lives.

Additionally, to reconnect, we should also find new connections in interests. Find time to explore new hobbies or even continue old ones. For example, I will indulge in baking some of my favorite pastries and mastering the recipes by heart.  Of course, baking isn’t the only option—you could try knitting, making scrapbooks, learning a new instrument, or even taking on something demanding like skiing. Taking a break from school work to return to these routines or to explore new ones can help us regenerate our brains for the upcoming semester. Pursuing interests can help spark creativity and keep your brain active while also reducing stress. Whether crafting, listening to new music, finding a new TV show, or tending to the garden, these interests can add joy to your break and help you reset. 

Lastly, as the new year approaches, it is good to set intentions and goals. Creating things like a vision board, whether on Pinterest or a physical board, can really help you see how you would like your year to go along. Remember you can’t control your year and not everything will go perfectly; however, having a clear idea of the direction you want to go in will help with motivation. Journaling can also help when talking about the goals you aim for. Focus on the objectives that are consistent with your beliefs and make use of this process to consider what is most important to you. Overall, use Christmas break to help set an idea of the successful year you have ahead of you.