If you had asked me how I felt about completing my final exams two months ago, I would have said that I was ecstatic and looking forward to it like no other. I found myself counting down the days on the calendar I had taped up on my bedroom wall until I could finally let go of the breath I’d been holding since the beginning of the year; but when the day came, I felt strangely indifferent.
If you’re anything like me, you sometimes feel oddly unproductive after a full day of rest and relaxation even though you have no exams coming up, there’s no homework due, and there’s no school to attend the next day. I would say it’s because we’re the type of people who always need to have some sort of project going on.
These are a few of my tips to negate those feelings of unproductivity during the school break:
- Write out everything that you want to do during this period. It might seem a little trivial and tedious to list out things that are fun and relaxing, but it will give you a clearer outline and a reminder of everything you want to do during the break. It will also be a good reference in case you do find yourself a bit lost.
- Find a job. This way, you’ll have some savings for the next stage of your life, whether it be going back to school, travelling, taking on an internship…
- Teach yourself something new. The break after high school is usually longer than any other school holiday so it’s the perfect time to learn something new. This could be learning a new language, a new skill or even a new sport.
- Improve something about yourself. This could be something simple, e.g. cleaning up the bedroom that you’ve allowed to become a mess for the past year; or something that requires a bit more effort e.g. doing one nice thing for someone every day.
- Find a new hobby. This is a great time to pick up a new hobby before life catches up again and you find yourself without time.
- Have a movie marathon. This can be a fun way to pass time or perhaps refresh your memory if there are any sequels set to release soon.
- Watch a new tv series. This is another relaxing way to pass time, especially if you’ve put off watching television during the final school year.
- Read one/a few books. Many of us have a list of to-read books, why not use this time to cross some off?
- Set goals for yourself. This is my personal favourite thing to do since there is a broad range of ideas out there to suit my needs. You don’t have to set a big goal for yourself unless you want to, just be realistic and choose something that you can reasonably accomplish during the time. This can be as simple as writing down a line of gratitude each day or perhaps going out for a walk a few times a week.
Reflect: Does this apply to you?
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