Breaks are for resting. This is true, and I will not argue. The title sounds like this post may be misleading, and I promise, I will try to not make a list of a million things to do to destroy your restfulness entirely. Because, again, breaks are for resting.
Resting can take many shapes and forms, from meditating to scrolling mindlessly through TikTok and beyond. And rest is not always sedentary or passive. There is such a thing as Active Rest, even if this concept sounds mythical or like a capitalist mind-control tactic to ensure you are always productive. However, active rest is not entirely good or bad when it is used individually. Active Rest, such as yoga or reading, is best when paired with other elements of passive or sedentary rest. So, what I’m trying to say, is don’t go on a run every single day of winter break if you don’t feel like it, but don’t be a couch potato who constantly clicks “I’m Still Here” on Netflix.
So if you’re looking for some productive ideas to jump ahead of the curve of the professional world in your times of active rest, here are some ideas to keep you busy!
1. Update Your Resume - yes, really.
Resumes are a staple of both the academic and professional world and ten minutes of quick updates to your internship/work experience, leadership roles, list of clubs, etc., is not a difficult task to tackle in your time off. Quick, easy, simple, and you’re already ahead of next semester.
2. Starting Looking for Internships
While you may not be applying for a spot until Summer or Fall, taking a peek at what may potentially lay in wait is not such a bad idea. This way, you can find roles or organizations with internship opportunities that align with your professional goals. Starting early may also give you time to start your cover letter or find the job/application expectations that you would typically cram into doing and researching at the last minute.
3. Make a Running List of your Organizations, Work Experience, etc.
If you’re looking to spend more time on resume-adjacent things, I’d recommend making a detailed list of everything you’ve ever done. That sounds silly, but my “Resume Details List” has been a big help over the last few years. We all know how hard it can be to stick to one (only one!) single page of a resume while still putting your most important or relevant information out there. By combining everything into one document, I have saved tons of time by being able to copy and paste my experience into a resume when applying for specific jobs. For example, when I am applying for a theatre-related job, I copy my theater job experiences and paste them into an updated resume, but could take two seconds to switch this same resume back to a bomb public relations resume. Tailoring your resume to the job you are applying for is important, and this document helps keep that all together. So listing all of your previous jobs, your supervisor, how long you worked there, and a list of your duties is a great starting point. If you’re eager or ambitious, you could go on to list all of your clubs, how long you’ve been active in them, and what leadership roles you’ve held. Listing scholarships, honors/awards, volunteer work, and even your software proficiencies are great. This is a document you can tailor to your needs! So if you often find yourself rewriting a million personal statements, write a basic one for your document that you can easily copy and edit each time you need it!
4. Find Three Solid Hobbies or Activities
Yes, three hobbies or activities sound like a lot. But the principle is based on finding three different hobbies that contribute to your overall well-being. Most of the time, I suggest trying to find one hobby in each of these categories: A Hobby for Money, A Hobby for Physical Wellness, and A Hobby for Creativity. If you want to combine some of these, great! But winter break is the best time to put those New Years' Resolutions to work and become a more idealized version of yourself ahead of the spring semester. So, try out painting, running, dancing, basket-weaving, meditating, learning constellations, and what have you. Combining these hobbies is not terribly difficult. If you love graphic design as a hobby for creativity, combine that with a hobby for money by selling these graphics on RedBubble or Etsy. Teach a dance class for $10 an hour for students on break from their regular dance classes. Anything! Just find three things that you like, no, love, to do, and make them your own. Give yourself a hobby routine so that you have a great way to express yourself come the spring semester.
5. Freshen Up Your Portfolio and/or Website
This one also has me sweating as if I ate a Carolina Reaper Pepper. I HATE touching my portfolio and my website because I also hate how it turns out every time. I feel as if I’m always in a rush to get it finished, and thus never like it. But bless the upcoming break because it gives me time to tackle these in small increments! For me, finding 30-odd minutes once a week for this does not seem as horrifying or overwhelming when I have a month of break. Whether it's compiling things into a Google Drive folder or displaying it on a colorful portfolio tab of your website, create something that you are proud to share with future employers, with faculty, and even with your peers. Nothing has to be perfect, and by golly, nothing has to even be done. But it may make you feel better to at least try and start. Little by little, things are more manageable and fun.
6. DO NOT FORGET YOUR PASSIVE REST
Remember when I said I wouldn’t make this list an explosive way to put you over the edge after you’ve just gotten home from finals? This is where I come in to remind you that everything is happening, and will happen, at its own pace. If you do even one of these things over break, great, if you do all of them, you scare me and I commend you for it. Break is one of the only times you have to spend time with your family, your home friends, and just yourself alone. Do those things, and do all of the things that make you happy. Sit and binge-watch Love Island all day, I’d love to join you for it. What this all means is, if you want to jump in ahead of the spring semester or because you’re bored after you’ve finished your third rewatch of How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, you can. But do not forget to spread the load out with many, and I mean many, passive rest breaks. This list is not a laundry list of things you have to do. You will not fall behind if you don’t do any of these things. You won’t miss a beat. Simply breathe and enjoy your break before it passes you by.
Active Rest is a great way to push you ahead of the curve before the spring semester, but remember that all good things are in moderation. You deserve to feel accomplished and ambitious, but you also deserve to feel rested and content.
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