Break is approaching super quickly for my college. We have a few days before we get to go home and do absolutely nothing for a few weeks…sort of. You see, break is definitely a time of low stress and relaxation. But it can also be an awesome time for us to start being effective with our habits and our lives. Here are some of my top tips for how to get the most of break. (Don’t hate me for the first one-it’s true).

1. Plan homework days or times. Don’t compromise on these. I realized after fall break that if I don’t start studying after at least two days in, it gets progressively more difficult. If you can set aside the certain times to do you work, then you can enjoy your movie marathon or day trip to the fullest. Work hard so that when the time comes, you can have less stress and more fun.
2. Work on habits that you’ve broken. Maybe you aren’t running as often as you wanted or you lost touch with some people. Make it a priority to get back on task with reinforcing activities and relationships that are important to you.
3. On the same line as this, make new habits. You most likely have a bunch of free time, and you can utilize it to your advantage. Maybe you want to start using your planner more, eating more healthfully, journaling, waking up earlier, reading the news more often- whatever it is, take up the challenge to begin doing said task. College is the last little bit of cushioning before we must face the world with the habits that we reinforced over the past four years. Whether you’re a freshman or a senior, it’s never too late to make new habits and set yourself up for a great transition into adulthood.
4. Enjoy your family. Remember how much you miss them when you are at school, and don’t get lazy with having five consecutive movie days and no relational time. Maybe it’s taking your younger sister out to coffee, skyping your sibling who lives in California, or being intentional about having a family game night. Everybody is at a different place with this one, so do what works best for you. Just remember that this time you have with family is limited and precious.
5. Go visit your old teachers or friends who are in high school. It might be a little more of an effort to actually change out of your PJs and drive to your school, but I defintiely believe it’s worth it. While I am only a freshman, I was always so excited when I got to see my alumni friends come back to visit teachers during the day or attend our fall play. So if you have high school friends, go be that super cool alumni that everybody wants to see again.
6. Take time for yourself to read, journal or just think. Whether introvert of extrovert, we all need time to ourselves. In college, it can be especially hard to find time to ourselves for reflecting on life and how we are feeling. But in order to keep growing as people, it’s important to take a step back and regroup with ourselves. Also, the sooner we can be comfortable with being alone, the more comfortably we will move into our lives as independent adults with careers. We won’t always have that best friend on the second floor of our dorm who can cheer us up with chocolate when we are feeling down. We can embrace the wonderful relationships college has to offer while being proactive about how to meet our own needs when the time comes.
7. Make a list of everything you’re thankful for. Thanksgiving is coming up, and we are all so blessed in different ways. If going back to college after break is going to be tough, remind yourself how blessed you are to have been accepted to a college and to be getting an education. If your mom or dad is getting on your nerves, remind yourself of how much they love you and have done for you. And if this past election frightens you to no end, remind yourself of the freedoms that we still have in this country and that the country of Canada has its flaws, too.