I have had so much trouble doing anything but nothing this winter break, but I really ought to make progress on my BA thesis. Simultaneously, I want to enjoy break as much as I can! Here’s some tips etc. that I have uncovered in my attempt to motivate myself and relax this winter break.
Make a study schedule - you deserve a break and should take one, so I’d say keep it vague and leave yourself plenty of free time, but it does make it easier to do things once you set goals. What I do is set one goal per day. Once I get that out of the way, I have freedom!, but if I just can’t one day, it’s okay because it won’t be too bad to do two the next. Over the course of a few weeks, it’ll all get done, so it’s alright!
Make a list of what you want to get out of break - not just what you want to get done. For example, I’m prioritizing relaxing. I’m feeling pretty burnt out, and the worst thing is to still feel that way when the quarter starts. Like, ideally, I wanna be borderline bored and just really want to study again once school starts back up. During break, I want to do some reading for fun, cook some new recipes, and hang out with old friends.
Clean up your space, and maybe do a bit of decorating. Make your study space comfortable and cheery, and soon you will find it too hard to resist that ~studyblr aesthetic~ and you will give in to temptation and crack open your textbook. Or so I like to tell myself.
Prepare for Next Quarter/Semester - even if they’re not the most pressing matters, taking some small steps can get you in a productive mood, and at least get something out the way!
Look up the syllabi for your classes. Download readings and/or buy textbooks (and if you’re really productive start reading them!)
Set up your notebooks. I use a composition notebook for each class, so over break I like to buy them, set up a table of contents, number the pages, etc. Then, if I’m feeling productive, I might even start taking notes in them…
Watch some relevant lectures on iTunes U, Yale Open Courses, or MIT Open Courseware.
Practice a language on Duolingo – there are now 15 languages available for English speakers, and more coming soon!
Winter & Christmas Playlists
Christmas Songs Without Words
Stille Nacht! (choral Christmas music)
Victorian Christmas (got some Nutcracker thrown in there)
Trimming the Tree (Christmas music from Bach to jazz)
In the Hogwarts Library (not winter per se…but still!)
cold noses and rosy cheeks (indie & acoustic stuff)
Cozy Things - because it’s cold and consequently perfect cozy study weather, so might as well complete the ambiance.
Bake some cookies, like Chocolate Biscotti, Chocolate Espresso Snowballs, and of course Gingerbread Cookies
I might go through a whole box of Vanilla Chai before break is done
Make a Ginger Latte, London Fog, or a Salted Nutella Latte
Channel gemütlichkeit (in German), or you might’ve heard of hygge (in Danish) (tbh this is only here because I think these are great words)
Read/re-read some of your favorite books. I’ve been reading The Hobbit (for the first time actually!) and re-reading Harry Potter & the Order of the Phoenix (which I first read way back in elementary school so it kinda feels like reading it for the first time…)
Good luck with whatever you choose to do with your break, and happy holidays!!
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