Self-care is Self-aware

What do you need to do to recharge?

Winter break is a respite between two marathons of academic effort. These few weeks are as essential a part of the school year as any other weeks between September and May. They are the difference between the exhaustion at the end of fall term and the energy at the beginning of the spring term. You worked awfully hard from September through December. You need and deserve a break before you dive back in and do it again next term.

It's tempting (and maybe necessary) to use this time to work and earn some money for next term or to rush from one gathering to another catching up with everyone you missed while you were away or to stay up all night binging on TikTok. If you can use this time off to rest and relax and recharge your batteries instead, you will give yourself a better chance at succeeding next term and of not getting burned out.

What does recharging mean to you?

We hear the term self-care tossed around a lot, but what feeds one person’s soul might deplete another of energy. What one person finds comforting another might find boring or annoying. Before you started reading all of the self-care advice on the internet and trying to fit all of the different ideas into your couple of weeks of break, take some time to think about yourself and what self-care looks like for you.

Do you do best when you are busy? Some people are energized by having a full calendar with lots of events and social time. Some people do best when they have meaningful productive work to do on a regular basis. If self-care means being busy with something you enjoy, make sure you have at least a few fun activities scheduled to look forward to.

Do you need to see a bunch of friends and family and make personal connections? If you are an extrovert, you might be missing the hustle and bustle of your campus where there was always someone to talk to and something to do. If being around other people is what makes you tick, make sure you are reaching out to family, old friends or college buddies who happen to live near you.

Do you need to sit in a quiet house by yourself and binge on NetFlix or read a book? Some of us crave peace and quiet. Being by ourselves without anyone to talk to (or listen to!) gives us the space to reflect and be at peace. If you are an introvert who needs time alone, you were probably really looking forward to getting away from the busy-ness and constant companionship of college. Make sure you carve out some alone time for yourself over break.

Do you need to get outside and get some exercise? Depending on where you live, getting outside might be tough. If you thrive on fresh air and movement though, don’t let the chilly weather stop you. A hike with friends, a jog through the park or even a trip to a ski lodge might be just what you need to relax and recharge.

Do you need to sleep for 12 hours a night to catch up on your rest? If you are like most college students, you probably weren’t getting 8 hours of zzzz s a night while you were at school – especially during finals week. When you are coming out of a period of high stress, your body will often need extra rest to recover. Shut those room darkening curtains, curl up under a blanket and give your body the rest it needs.

Do you need to learn something new which isn’t dictated by a professor? Learning something new about a topic you are interested in for its own sake isn’t something you have time to do during the school term – you are already awfully busy learning what everyone else thinks you need to know. Spending some time pursuing a hobby or learning about something which has nothing to do with your major can be a fun and energizing way to spend a few hours over the break. Check out coursera.com, udemy.com or your local community college for inexpensive non-credit classes.

Do you need to do something creative? Painting, drawing, writing a poem or story, playing music, designing a video game – whatever your version of making is, taking some time to express yourself creatively while you are away from school can be a great way to recharge. Let the non-academic side of your personality come out to play.

We all recharge differently. Making sure you are taking care of yourself in the best way for you is important. Being self-aware enough to know what recharges your batteries is a gift you can give yourself now and for the rest of your life.