How to Actually Enjoy Winter Break

Winter break is approaching, and students are left figuring out how to spend their 2 week-long break. If you’re not traveling with your family for most of the time, you might see your break as a sentence to complete boredom and rotting at home, likely in your bed. Towards the end, you might even be excited to go back to school, desiring some kind of routine and something to do. However, this scenario only happens as a result of poor planning and a lack of motivation. Winter break is a time to log out of school and from the associated stress coupled with deadlines. Senior Zymal Sajjad emphasizes this by saying, “You should enjoy these few days off and make time for yourself. In school, you often forget to prioritize yourself. Sometimes, you just need to push everything school-related to the side.” However, it’s also a time to focus on all the activities you’ve wanted to do, but haven’t been able to because of school. 

The first key to actually enjoying winter break is limiting your screen time. Many students feel that phones are a way to pass time when you have nothing better to do. This leads to students having insane screen time averages over the break. All this time wasted on doom-scrolling could have been used in a much better way. The first step to avoiding this catastrophic mistake and saving your break is not using your phone in the morning. Let’s be honest: most of us wake up in the morning and our first instinct is to check our phone for notifications, which often turns into us doom-scrolling in bed for a good hour. However, in a Psychology Today article, Dr. Pamela B. Rutledge warns that, “Looking at our phones first thing in the morning deprives us of the time to prepare mentally for the day. The never-ending dump of information leaves us vulnerable to emotional triggers and can create feelings of dread or being overwhelmed.” Change your morning phone habit by waiting to use your phone for about 15 minutes after waking up. Use these 15 minutes to make your bed, wash your face, brush your teeth, and to fully enjoy the absence of the need to get ready for school. You will begin to see that your days will be a lot more productive and happier because of this simple change. 

Because of school workloads, many students haven’t had much time during the semester to go out with friends or commit to personal activities. However, during winter break, you have no excuse. Students should definitely consider trying new activities with friends both at home and outside. For instance, Color Me Mine is the perfect place for painting pottery with friends, and Nickelrama is an affordable arcade known for its wide-variety of games you can compete in with friends. Even trying new restaurants and dessert spots can make for an amazing time if you’re with the right people. For more stay-at-home activities, consider hosting a powerpoint night, movie night, or craft night (supplied by stores like Michael’s and Hobby Lobby). Any mundane activity can be turned unforgettable when with the right people and the right mindset.

Exercise is also crucial to an amazing winter break. Exercise releases endorphins that act as natural mood-boosters, improving well-being. For this reason, exercising combats all the stress and anxiety students likely faced on a day-to-day basis during the first semester, and will continue to face in the next semester. Junior Elizabeth Kotynski, one of BHA’s most active Varsity students, comments, “Winter break is a chance to reset but also invest in yourself. You don’t need to follow any strict plan, just stay active and clear your head. Just regularly walking or stretching can make your break feel a lot more refreshing.” Even going for a bike ride around your neighborhood can give you an enormous mood-boost!

Winter break is also a wonderful opportunity to catch up on Islamic goals. With the new year approaching, taking this time to accomplish some of last year’s Islamic resolutions will help you greet the new year with a fresh mindset. School is no longer a distraction! Taking time out of your free days to read, memorize, and understand the Qur’an is a good way to make sure you keep your Islamic goals in line during this time. Setting a realistic goal, such as memorizing a surah, performing more sunnah prayers, or journaling about the Qur’an helps you hold yourself accountable and accomplish these goals, inshaAllah. Other ideas include volunteering at your local masjid, helping your family around the house, and checking in on your friends during their break. Remember, just because you are free from school doesn’t mean you can waste all your time! Spending your time in a fun but productive way will allow you to fully enjoy this winter break, without feeling like you missed out on anything. 

The keys to having a productive yet relaxing winter break are exercising, socializing, and limiting screen time. However, remember that it’s okay to have the occasional lazy day; you’ve earned it! Make sure to treat yourself after a grueling first semester, and in preparation for the incoming semester.