With winter break either starting for college students or about to start, it comes with a lot of relief and conflict. Relief because the stress of classwork and projects are put off until the spring semester, but also conflict because, without those things to do, some people may be grasping at things to do. Since we all deserve to have an enjoyable break and make the most of our time off, here are some ideas for things to do during your month off.
Binge that series you haven’t had time for
Something that I haven’t done in a while is become so behind on my shows that I forget about them. The pile of television shows I want to start or catch up on got higher and higher throughout the semester and I am glad to finally lessen the load a bit. Squid Games has been recommended to me at least a million times and I am excited to finally get around to it. If anything I said resembles your situation, grab your laptop, some snacks, and spend some of your break getting on top of those shows!
Catch up with hometown/high school friends
While I have made some incredible friends at school, it’s reasonable to miss some of your hometown friends, whether they go to another college or your current high school senior friends. During your break, find a day to go to lunch, go shopping, see a high school game, or just any way to connect with those people. Just because you are experiencing new things doesn’t mean you can’t still talk with those same people. Don’t let some of those friendships fade and let this break be an opportunity to keep things fresh.
Take up a hobby you haven’t had time for
As you can imagine, between classes and clubs it can be harder to get free time. Well, now you have an entire MONTH of free time, and what’s better than trying something new? Or even if it’s just getting back into something that you haven’t gotten to do in so long. Some ideas if you are stuck are painting, writing, reading new books, doing any kind of sports activities, etc. Here is a list of activities with low commitment if you want to explore more ideas!
Connect with family
Like with friends, unless you have regular contact about everything in your life with family, they have likely missed a lot from your semester. Take this time to catch your family up on your experiences, your feelings about the semester, what you want for yourself, etc. You can also just talk about life, exchange stories, or whatever else you like talking about with family members. This is a great time for some well-needed connection.
Go on a day trip
Whether you’ve combed every inch of your state or you barely leave your house, a day trip around neighboring locations never hurts. This can be a trip with friends or just one for yourself. Try some good food, see some sights a city has to offer, try some activities, get some pictures, etc. If you feel suffocated by the inside of your house, this is the perfect opportunity for some new scenery.
SELF-CARE PRACTICES!
One of the biggest things that we forget is the importance of taking care of ourselves. Even though I should’ve done it more during the semester (but of course did not), now is the perfect time to make up for it. Some self-care for me is doing my nails and exploring with different designs. Some others you can try are spa nights with face masks and pampering, cozy stress-free movie nights with your favorite snacks, getting a massage, or whatever self-care is for YOU!
I hope all of you have an amazing winter vacation and please take some time to relax. After this strenuous semester, it’s well deserved for everyone.