If you are like most teachers, winter break is a much-needed break after the LONG month of teaching in December. It’s an opportunity to slow down, catch up up things outside of teacher life and fill your cup back up. But if you are anything like me, winter break takes away one of the things I loved most about working for the school system-the structure.
Don’t get me wrong, the day to day in my classroom could be unpredictable and I never knew, walking into work, what kind of day we would have. The main framework, however, stayed the same.
I get to work at 7:00, kids come at 7:30. Reading and math in the morning, lunch at 11. Science and social studies in the afternoon, home at 2:35. I knew how my days will be filled and what I was supposed to be doing.
Winter break was hard for me. I suddenly had long days and I didn’t know how to fill them. Most of my family and friends didn’t work for the school system and I found myself just counting down the hours until my husband came home for work. Winter break wasn’t relaxing, it was lonely. If you can relate to that feeling, I’m here for you with a plan!
If you are someone that craves structure and routine, I highly suggest making yourself a plan to follow. Even if your plan is only filled with leisure activities, knowing exactly what you are going to do the first day of break might help. Follow these 3 steps to build a schedule for yourself.
Make Your Lists
I recommend making two lists. Make a list of things you need to catch up on and make a list of things you like to do. Making these lists will help you build days for yourself that are structured, productive and relaxing.
Things you need to catch up on are going to be things like errands and chores. This is a great time to try and schedule doctor appointments, oil changes, hair cuts, and other maintenance tasks.
It could also be a great time to organize your house, clean out your closets and stock your freezer with pre-made, ready to cook meals. I found that by including one of these tasks in my daily plan, I could enjoy winter break while still feeling productive.
Also, make a list of everything you enjoy doing. What are your absolutely favorite things to do? Do you love to run? Are you into baking? Do you know how to knit or yarn?
Also, think about your “to be” lists. What books have you been meaning to read? What movies or shows have you been meaning to watch? What recipes have you been meaning to make? This can be a great time to finally do some of those hobbies,
Set Yourself a Challenge
Winter break is the last two weeks of the year, and if you are reading this when it’s written in December 2019 it’s the last two weeks of the decade. Think of a goal you have for yourself. Boil it down to something realistic that you can accomplish over your break.
Have you been wanting to start exercise? Try committing to exercising three times during break. Have you wanted to start reading? Try committing to reading for 15 minutes every day, or finishing one book. Working on learning to cook? Try 5 simple recipes.
It is said that it takes 21 days to start a habit. Use your winter break to kick off the first 12 or so days and carry it into the new year.
Build Your Schedule
Once I had my lists and challenges, I could build each day. I tried to select 1-2 things from my catch up list and 1 thing to work for my goal. I plugged these into my day, then filled the rest with leisure time. I found that when I woke up knowing exactly what I was going to do that day, I could enjoy the day more. I made a simple download you can use if this system would work for you. Click on the image below to grab the freebie, and enjoy your hard-earned break!
