By Torben Heinbockel ‘26
So… now what?
Break starts. School is done. Alarms are silent. All your homework is complete. And you probably feel a combination of relief and stress, along with boredom and tiredness. Or maybe you’re not sleeping well.
Yeah. Same here.
Winter breaks can be overwhelming. Many of you have been running at full throttle (concerts, finals, sports, homework, service, etc.) for months, and then—BAM—you hit a brick wall of completely unstructured free time. And nobody told you what to do with the free time, because you’ve become used to always having an upcoming event.
This is NOT a productivity guide. This is a list of tested ideas for St. Paul’s students to use to achieve recovery and restoration, and to become productive members of society by January 31st, with no pressure. No fluff. Just ideas that work.
Step 1: Learn to breathe again before you “reboot”
First 48 hours of break? NO GOALS. JUST BREATHE.
Allow yourself to sleep late. Take a shower in which you’re not rushing to finish. Eat something edible. Take a walk for no particular reason. Laugh at something ridiculous and absurd without worrying about being embarrassed. Stop planning tomorrow.
Why? Once we finally stop moving, all our accumulated fatigue returns to visit us. Recognizing that is how you start again.
Step 2: Reestablish your normal sleep schedule
You will almost certainly want to totally flip-flop your sleep schedule and sleep until 2:30 AM and wake up at noon and do it all again. Honestly, I wouldn’t blame you if you flipped your entire sleep schedule several times. However, the longer you keep flipping your sleep schedule, the groggier you’ll be, even if you think you got tons of rest.
Instead:
- Pick a MINIMAL wake-up time that is near to what you’d call a “break” (i.e., 9:00 AM or 10:00 AM).
- Take a trip outside before noon. Natural light exposure can assist in establishing your circadian rhythm.
- Avoid consuming caffeine too close to bedtime. Believe me, it makes a huge difference.
- Don’t look at your phone in bed. You’re not resting; you’re ruining your sleep quality.
Set a SLEEP RHYTHM, and you’ll see it is MUCH easier than cranking as much as possible into your final weeks of freedom before school resumes.
Step 3: Overcome the “I’m bored, but I really don’t want to do anything” hump
You know this feeling. You have all the time in the world… and you have ZERO interest in doing anything. That isn’t laziness. That is exhaustion.
One easy way to overcome this is to choose one activity from each of the three categories below for each day:
- Move: Take a walk, toss a ball, stretch, shovel snow, etc.
- Make: Create music, cook a meal, write, paint, edit a video, build, etc.
- Meet: Spend at least 30 minutes with a friend.
That’s it. If you can choose ONE activity from each of the three categories, you provide yourself with a base for your day and have absolutely no obligation to follow through.
Pro Tip: Don’t wait for a brilliant idea. For example: send a ridiculous text to a friend: “Hot chocolate and a meaningless Target run?” Absolutely minimal effort = absolutely fun.
Step 4: Clean something. At least once.
Not to sound like your mom, but hear me out. CLEAN YOUR ROOM — including under the bed, etc. This will actually help you reboot mentally.
And you may ask, “well, what do I get out of it?” It signals to your brain and others: “I finished the last chapter. I am prepared for the next.”
It is the same reason you clean your backpack, organize your computer files, or clean anything else you put off since the start of school. You don’t need to become a minimalist iconoclast. Just clean your space enough so it appears to be a place you would like to spend time.
Step 5: If you are not happy, you are not “failing” at “vacation”.
Recognize it. Nobody has a perfectly wonderful Hallmark holiday vacation. Families fight. People are separated. People grieve. Most people are simply exhausted and fed up with everything when school ends.
If you can identify with any of the above statements, remember: it doesn’t mean you “failed at relaxation.” It means you are human.
Some things that might genuinely help you include:
- Leave your home. Sometimes walking outside or driving somewhere for a little while helps you clear your mind.
- Write down things. It doesn’t have to be profound. Just dump them.
- Intentionally listen to music. Don’t listen to music while browsing through your phone — just listen.
- Tell someone who knows. A friend, a teacher, a parent, a brother/sister, etc.
You should not be expected to resolve ALL of your problems, but don’t go through it alone.
Step 6: Gradually get back into the regular routine before the madness commences again
Two days prior to school opening again, STOP PANICKING. There are only four tasks to perform:
1. Return your sleep schedule to normal within 30-60 minutes.
2. Place your school uniform in a convenient location and pack your bag.
3. Review your school calendar to prevent a shock when you arrive at school on Monday.
4. Establish a modest objective for your first week back (for example, “Don’t check your email while eating breakfast”).
Return to school as someone who took the time to discover yourself again, not as a whole new person.
Final Thoughts:
You have earned the right to take time to relax. You aren’t obligated to use every second of your vacation. You are not behind if you’re not “being productive.”
The primary intention of Winter Break is not to reform yourself. It is to rediscover yourself.
Therefore, whether you wake up early to enjoy your first sleep-in in months because you have discovered a new passion for music again, reconnect with friends again, or simply do nothing again, recognize that it counts.
See you in January. For now, just breathe.
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