For most, being home for the holidays means a lot of festivities, events, and family time, as well as a lot of free time. A whole month off school leaves a lot of time we’re left to fill on our own. In my house over Winter break, I spend a lot of the month by myself during the day while my parents are at work and my siblings are in school, and I find myself having a hard time filling all the alone time.
Being at home and out of school routine for such a long period of time can make it easy to feel unproductive, closed in and even lonely. Here’s a list of eight things you can do over the break to keep you productive and entertained during your free time!
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1. Pick up a new good habit
Having a whole month of time to yourself can be beneficial for building yourself and working towards goals. Picking up a healthy habit would be ideal during this time since you have a whole month to establish it and practice incorporating it into your daily life. You will have time to really reflect on what you would like to see more of in your life. Maybe you’ve decided you would like to increase your focus and concentration. Meditation would be a great habit to help you clear your head and find a nice balance inside yourself. Journaling to keep track of your emotions and ideas will evoke mindfulness and could become a great outlet to keep your brain stimulated and thinking creatively through the month of no school work. Even just promising yourself to make it to the gym everyday can give you an awesome sense of accomplishment and keep you healthy and energized. Just picking up one good habit to incorporate into daily life can really change your days for the better!
2. Make an effort to reach out to family you don’t see often
The holidays are a great time to get reconnected to family you might not get the chance to see so often during the busy year. Reach out! Make plans! The holidays can be a busy time and everyone is not always available, but you’d be surprised how far a phone call or lunch invite can get you! Your family wants to see you and make time for you! Make the effort and you will see the reciprocation.
3. Start a new book
A good story can always make you feel less alone and is a great way to fill time by yourself. Keeping your brain creative and stimulated over the break is important and a book is a great exercise for that! Maybe there’s a topic you’ve been wanting to dive more into, do some research and read about things that fascinate you! You’d be amazed how much time you can spend on something that truly interests you.
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4. Check out some Christmas lights
Go find or make your own winter wonderland! Taking a drive around your town, or even just your neighborhood to see Christmas lights and decorations is a great way to get filled with the holiday spirit. A lot of times you can even find places that dedicate this time of year to putting up lights and decorations just for that purpose. It’s one of my favorite things to do over the holidays and always leaves me feeling joyful. If you think you’ve got an eye for decoration you might even have a good time decorating or putting up lights around your own house. Pulling into your driveway and seeing the lights you’ve hung is really exciting and satisfying, plus they always look beautiful!
5. Go to local events
Being home for so long, and the cold weather always makes me a little stir crazy after a while. Looking up local events or bands that are playing in restaurants and bars around town always helps kill the cabin fever and gets you out and about with people in your own community, you might even run into an old friend.
6. Switch up your space
Rearranging or just tidying up your room is a great way to get reacquainted with your space. When my room is clean, spacious and put together, It makes it easier to think clearly. Having your own special space is important, keeping up with it and making it your own can give you a secure and familiar feeling. It’s comforting to know you have a space where you can completely unwind and be yourself. Holidays can be the perfect time to tidy up and try new things to customize your space.
7. Watch a Christmas movie marathon
There are too many cheesy holiday-themed movies in the world to not watch at least one over the break. Invite over some friends and family and watch a Christmas movie or two…or three. It can be casual and chill or you can go all out with the festivities and make Christmas cookies, themed snacks, decorate the area and even dress up in your favorite holiday attire.
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8. Start planning ahead for next semester
It’s never too early to start thinking about the future. Start getting organized and thinking about the upcoming semester. Recap what went well and what didn’t go so well last semester and it will help you become more prepared and know what to anticipate and improve for the upcoming classes. Getting school supplies and organizing what I am going to pack is productive and gets me excited for returning back to campus!