15 Things To Try Out These Holidays

BY ANH NGUYEN & EMILY LU

What every student has been waiting for…the upcoming holidays! The holidays are a great way to give yourself a break and recover from the tough school term. However, sometimes the holidays are just too short and seem to go by in a flash. So instead of squandering your break scrolling through your phone and lying in bed all day, we urge you to try some of the things on our list! We hope you enjoy and have a productive holiday!

1. Change up your appearance: 

Get a haircut (or just a trim), accessorise, experiment with your style, try something new, or completely reinvent yourself. This is also a good chance to clean out your wardrobe and donate or upcycle any of your old clothes. 

2. Go on a picnic: 

Pick a day with nice weather to visit a park and make special memories with loved ones. This is a good chance to get together and catch up with your loved ones amidst the busy school year. Don’t forget the snacks and fun board games! 

3. Spend time with friends and family: 

It could be anything- set some time for a city meet-up with friends, have dinner out with family, arrange for a comfy home date, or just hang out over a call.

4. Movie marathons: 

The holidays are a perfect opportunity to catch up on any films you’ve been meaning to watch. Make yourself a comfy nest and binge-watch your favourite series, popcorn and snacks are a must!

5. Read books:

Lose yourself in another world, one page at a time. Reading can be therapeutic and serve as your getaway from a busy place. Come up with a list of books you are interested in reading before the end of the holiday and see how many you end up reading. 

6. Go on walks outside: 

No more rotting away in your room, get some vitamin D and spend time in nature! This is an easy and simple way to build your fitness and stamina before coming back to school. Doing so will definitely help you tackle the tiring flights of school stairs awaiting your return. This is also a good chance to get to know your neighbours and explore your neighbourhood. 

7. Treat yourself/ take yourself on a date: 

This could be anything, big or small. Take yourself to see an exhibition, explore the aquarium unaccompanied, treat yourself to a delicious meal, buy that one thing you’ve always wanted, or pick something out for yourself at the bookstore. Who doesn’t need their alone time every so often?

8. Baking/cooking: 

Baking can help release stress and keep you relaxed (unless your recipe is super chaotic)! You can also take this time to try new recipes with your family. Who knows, you might end up creating a culinary masterpiece that will be passed down to the generations to come.

9. Hobbies: 

No better time than the holidays to sharpen your skills and enjoy doing what you love most, whether it’s arts and crafts, music, sports etc.. You could also take the opportunity to delve into new interests, try things you’ve never done and step out of your comfort zone. 

10. Self-care: 

Sometimes we forget to take care of ourselves when we are too busy with school and responsibilities. During the holidays you can practice self-care through many different methods. For example, doing skincare, taking charge of your health, rewarding yourself, exercising etc. You can also stay in touch with yourself by practising mindfulness and well-being.

11. Work/volunteering: 

Working a job and volunteering are both very productive ways to keep yourself occupied during the holidays. Helping your community is rewarding and gives you a chance to build connections and strengthen your relationships with others in your community. 

12. Journaling/scrapbooking  

You may want to take this opportunity to start a journal, to write about your thoughts, and plans and set goals for the new school term. You should also write about your holiday, which will be nice to look back on once school starts again. 

13. Clean your room/house

Set yourself up for a relaxing holiday by cleaning the mess in your room leftover from the stressful school term- after all, your room is a reflection of your mind. To take things a step further, you could even give your living space a complete transformation. It is also a good idea to donate some of your unwanted things and start a garage sale. As the saying goes, one man’s trash is another man’s treasure! 

14. Backyard camping 

Backyard camping can provide a refreshing change of pace from your everyday routine. Set up a tent outside, fully equipped with all your necessities, just like how you would camping outside, except if you get scared at night, you can easily return to the comfort of your own home!

15. Holiday Homework: 

Don’t wait till the last minute, just do it !!!! For those who procrastinate, we recommend working through your assignments slowly, bit by bit. Remember to pace yourself and take regular breaks while studying. You don’t want to spend the final days of your break worrying about finishing your homework, school hasn’t even started, so why stress?