While the stress of finals is surely the number one thing on everyone’s mind, it is never too early to take a mental break from all of the studying and fantasize about winter break. With practically a month away from campus, there are endless possibilities of how Fairfield students can make the most of their time at home.
With winter break comes the end of 2025 and a new year full of new opportunities. One of the most productive ways to spend winter break is preparing and resetting for 2026. Deep cleaning your room, decluttering your school bag and setting goals and resolutions for next year are just a few ways that you can turn winter break into a productive reset.
One of the best things that you can do for yourself during a break is to recharge your brain. Coming off of a very stressful few weeks of exams, winter break is a great time to relax and practice self-care. Some of my personal favorite ways to practice self-care are taking long baths or showers, getting lots of sleep and fueling yourself with your favorite home-cooked meals. This is also a perfect time to reconnect with some of your favorite hobbies that you may not have prioritized this past semester.
Being away from home can be tricky when you feel distant from your loved ones. Winter break is the perfect time to catch up with your family and hometown friends. Take your younger siblings to get ice cream, grab coffee with an old classmate that you haven’t spoken to in a while, or have a family movie or game night. There is nothing quite like rekindling old relationships and reconnecting with your favorite long-distance people that makes for a perfect way to spend winter break and the holiday season.
Of course, if relaxation isn’t quite your style, finding ways to make and spend money could be a great use of your free time over break. There is no better way to gear up for the next semester than to financially prepare yourself for another few months at school. If sleeping in and lounging all day isn’t for you, finding a seasonal job in your hometown is a great way to make the most of your time at home.
My personal favorite thing about winter break is the endless holiday activities that add joy and excitement to my days at home. Holiday movie marathons, driving around to look at Christmas lights and decorating my house are just a few of the many activities that my family does to make the most of our time together. There is no shortage of possibilities when it comes to holiday-themed activities to do with family and friends, especially when you have a nice, long break to fit everything in.
Whether you like to holiday shop until you drop or reorganize your space heading into the new year, winter break is the perfect time to do what makes you happy. There is no right or wrong way to spend your break, so make sure to reward yourself for all the hard work you’ve done this semester with the best winter break you can imagine.
