The winter break is here. If you are honest with yourself, we have all probably been waiting for this break like our lives depended on it. To be fair, our lives probably do. If you thought to yourself, YES, it doesn’t mean you hate your job. It just means that you are T for TIRED! Does anyone know who came up with this ‘letter for word’ template/format? I know I have used it one too many times, and it’s only fitting that I find the owner to credit them from time to time.
That being said, regardless of whether you were looking forward to the winter break, it is almost (pretty much) here, and if you are not home like yours truly, you might be going through the motions, especially if it is your first time experiencing this.
Whether you are an Atlas Corps Fellow or anyone else navigating a situation like this, here are a few tips that might help you navigate this and have the best possible holiday (keeping in mind that I am using best very loosely here).
The first tip is to make peace with the fact that you are not home. Accepting that you are where you are is an excellent place to start.
An excellent place because it segues nicely into my second tip; immerse yourself into where you are. What activities can you engage in during the break? What do you like to do but haven’t had a chance to do in a while? With some time on your hands, this is your opportunity to explore and create new memories. Try to have some fun while you are at it. LOL.
If you are the ‘list-making’ type of person, you probably compiled a list of things to do during the break after reading the previous tip, which is great. Here is tip three before you turn this into a project with a thesis level of difficulty; pace yourself. The idea is to use the break to rest and recharge, so if it begins to feel stressful, that is probably your cue to ditch it. While it might look like people at home are doing more activities, keep in mind that it is easier for many people to organize multiple activities and you definitely shouldn’t try to match or one-up what they are doing because that might have you getting out of the break more exhausted than you got in.
My fourth and final tip is to give yourself permission to feel sad about spending the holidays away from your family and friends. Your feelings are valid, and you should acknowledge them. If you can, talk to someone about what you are going through, not because they can fix it, but because it might help you remember that despite the distance, you are not alone. Take advantage of the free time to talk to your family and friends, especially because time zones won’t be a problem as you can stay up all night talking and sleep during the day because you are on break. You can also prepare meals that remind you of home with the hope that the familiarity will cheer you up.
Sending love and light to everyone who can’t spend the holidays with their loved ones. May it only be half as bad as you think it will be.
Happy Holidays!
Wishing you a great 2023.
Thumbnail Photo by Osman Rana on Unsplash