Eat, Sleep and Research: Ways to remain productive over Winter Break By Allen Matsika
Finally, the time for people to curl up in their blankets and sleep in every day is here: good old Winter Break. Late nights spent catching up on missed TV shows and movies, revisiting lost loves like novel reading; life couldn’t be better. Indeed, the most important thing to do over Winter Break is to breathe and take a break. All the same, it is very tempting to do absolutely nothing over Winter Break, but it is not always the wisest decision. Balance is of paramount importance if one is to have a break, so at the end of which one does not regret doing a little bit of necessary work. There are many ways to keep the productivity flowing and also have time to relax: employ good time management skills; create to-do lists and make sure you have just the right amount of work and a lot of rest. The following are some ways to have a fun, productive and healthy Winter Break. The first thing is to create a ‘to-do list’. There is always so much to do, and surprisingly so little time. So how do we get a list that gives us room to play and still cover the important bases? One way to go about this is to create a list before the break actually starts. Time management is tantamount to budgeting your money and it is best done before payday. It is tougher to sit down on the day the break begins and write something, so get it done before. List the goofy things you want to do as well as school or career-related items. Let your imagination run wild and have fun right from the start when creating your to-do list. Get moving: Physical exercise is very important when taking a break. It is good to give your mind and body a rest but exercise can be refreshing too. It helps keep you healthy and gives your mind a break from thinking. Time for yourself: Find time to be with yourself, to reflect on who you are and who you want to be. Think about your journey and reflect on all that you have learned before Winter Break. Your story is important; it helps you see things clearer and is one way of growing up well. Relaxation: This might be subtly distinct from “time for yourself”, but it is ok to do nothing and just relax. You might take walks, go on unplanned outings with friends, or share a moment of silence with a pet or a loved one. Whatever it is, it might be good not to have an agenda, goal, or task, just being in the moment, or simply doing nothing. Socializing: Take time to reach out to old and new friends. It might be tough to find time to build relationships well during the school year. A break is a good time to build on these important things in life. Spend time with those whom you love and create memories.
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Productivity: To balance all the above, remember to look into your school work and career ideas. Brush up on languages and read ahead if you can. Check your social media for things that you wouldn’t want a prospective employer, or your mother, to see. Give your resume a make-over. Make sure it is in good shape to do its job, which is to help you land an interview. Work on getting a portfolio together, copies of things that could help your interviewers have more insight about what kind of person you are. If you have electronic copies of documents, it is good to turn them into hard copies and put them in your portfolio. You can also create a list of five to ten schools that you are interested in and start researching them. Play, Play, Play: Rediscover your inner child, and play. Have fun and let go. Enjoy sunrises and sunsets. Count the number of green cars passing by your apartment window, or volunteer with a group of kids. Play hard and when you come back to school, you will be refreshed and ready to work hard.