The countdown is on and it’s time to start winding down. How do you make the most of your Christmas break and switch off from work?
It’s time to rest, relax, recover and enjoy the festivities of Christmas. We’ve put together some tips to help you make the most of the break.
1. Switch off
Don’t feel guilty if you take no work home and spend the whole break not even thinking about work! Sometimes, the best thing you can do is fully switch off and leave work at work - just like you would if you worked in any other job. Christmas is a time to spend with family and friends, not think about work.
2. Get festive
If you’ve been busy with work in the run-up to Christmas, the break can be the perfect time to get festive. Whether it’s decorating your home, visiting Santa or spending time with family and friends - get into the holiday spirit.
3. Do something you enjoy
Whether it’s binge-watching a whole series (or 2!) on Netflix, reading a book you’ve been wanting to read for weeks, or traveling with family or friends - you deserve to spend your Christmas break doing something you enjoy! Switch off and be fully present in whatever you are doing.
4. Self-care
Look after yourself! It could be having a relaxing bath, getting your haircut or catching up on appointments you don’t have a chance to go to during term time. Also, be sure to pace yourself: Christmas is a busy few days and can easily become overwhelming with visiting different places and people’s homes. Take it easy and look after yourself.
5. Clean your house
This one may be a little controversial, but a fresh living space leads to a fresh mind. A nice, deep clean can also be stress relieving as you might feel you don’t have time to keep on top of everything during the normal working week.
6. Spend time with people
Christmas is the perfect opportunity to catch up with the people you don’t get a chance to see during term time. Spend more time with family, go for lunch with friends or take your children to the park. Be fully present in whatever you do and enjoy having the time to spend with your loved ones.
7. Enjoy the fresh air
Exercise helps release endorphins and can help you de-stress after a stressful term in school, especially with the run-up to Christmas. It’s also a good way to keep your steps up over the break while you aren’t running around the classroom!
8. Cook
Cooking can be a great way to switch off from the stresses of life especially if you are cooking up some festive treats! It might also be a productive use of your time to do some meal preparation to freeze for when you go back to work. Nothing beats coming home after a long day at work knowing your evening meal is ready to heat up.
9. Sleep
Use the time you have to catch up on sleep. Switch off your alarm and don’t feel guilty for catching up on sleep - it’s your body’s way of recovering from a busy few weeks in school.
10. Turn off notifications
Either delete your work email app or turn off notifications during your time off. There is nothing that will ruin your good time more than receiving a work email that you then cannot stop thinking about. There is nothing so urgent that you can't wait until you go back to work; anything that is urgent will be communicated via phone call.
We want to thank you (and all of our Education, Childcare and Support Staff) for your hard work so far this year. Now is your time to rest, relax, recover and enjoy your time off! Merry Christmas!