With the excitement of the upcoming holiday season and the two-week break coming up, many teachers and students find themselves bored without any idea of how to entertain themselves. Staff and students alike give their takes on how to stay busy outside of school in order to encourage people to step out of their comfort zones and try something new, which can greatly benefit mental and physical health.

“I honestly used to just spend winter break binge-watching movies and tv shows. I didn’t really know what else to do I was also just really burnt out after finals week,” junior Mikayla Hancock mentioned when asked about her old habits during the holidays. 

Many teachers and students find themselves in this difficult situation of feeling worn and unmotivated after a long semester of grading and completing assignments. A great way to break out of this cycle is to pick up a new hobby or interest. 

“Last break I started learning how to bake. I found a bunch of Christmas cookie recipes that my family really loved. it kind of helped the time go by faster. Plus it was really like a good way for me and my family to kind of bond,” Hancock continued.

Though baking is a healthy way to pass the time, some students find joy during the season in other ways like taking part in a winter activity. 

“I have a lot of free time during break so I try to go snowboarding as much as I can because I feel like it really keeps me stay active which is like hard to do during break. It’s also like way more fun than just going to the gym,” junior Jaime Pyrtle shared.

Not only is physical movement important to maintain over the break, but making sure to keep the brain working is a key aspect of staying healthy during the time off. An easy and fun way to exercise the brain is to pick up a good book!

“My favorite part about reading is that I’m way too broke to travel to all the places I actually want to go so reading allows me to travel to all those places for a lot cheaper and experience worlds that don’t even exist,” English teacher Emily Greer stated.

Making sure to stay occupied and on a loose schedule while having time off is especially important during winter break because it can reduce anxiety and depression, which are at an all-time high during the holiday season according to various studies. Finding a way to stay in somewhat of a routine greatly reduces the added stress and anxiety that comes with the holidays. 

“Having a plan for a break helps students feel more connected and also creates a sense of predictability and purpose which (…wait for it…) decreases anxiety,” writer Rob Danzman wrote in an article titled “How to Best Use Winter Break.”

Winter break is overall a great way to de-stress and catch up on sleep, but making sure to keep your mind and body active during such an unpredictable time is a viable part of staying healthy and having fun during the holiday season!