Exploring options for a productive holiday break

An illustration of a girl writing in a book with headphones on. CREDIT: NINA HEPPLEWHITE
If you're truly eager to have a productive holiday break, you will find something to keep you busy.

Starting Dec. 16, students will be on holiday break until Jan. 3, 2023 when campus re-opens for the winter semester.

That leaves almost two and a half weeks for students to be away from the classroom. If you’re a busy bee like me, I would expect that you already have a packed itinerary of activities to do during the break. However, if you’re looking for a way to vamp up your productivity, this is the perfect article for you.

Regardless if you’re in Canada or another country, there should be an overwhelming amount of holiday activities taking place. With that, this is the perfect opportunity for you to make research your best friend! With technology being such a big part of daily life, this shouldn’t be too difficult of a task. Researching holiday activities and finding exactly what interests me was the first way I filled my schedule for the next few weeks. Local holiday markets, craft sales, tree lighting, caroling, and other holiday community events are great ways to find yourself away from your house and a digital device.

Get the TD Insurance app.

If you’re looking for something to do outside of the holiday theme, it might be the perfect time to ask yourself what hobbies or activities you have always wanted to do but never got a chance to. Although everyone’s interests will vary, a few examples that I would suggest include:

1. Reading: Indigo is a great place to go if you’re looking for a good book

2. Painting: Amazon has amazing paint-by-number kits for affordable prices

3. Daily walks: Parks are a great place to surround yourself in nature if you’ve been at home all day

4. Cooking classes: Covent Garden Market offers cooking classes throughout the week

5. Trying new restaurants/ bars: Fellini Koolini’s is a great Italian spot, Wolfe Pack Company Bar has great oyster specials, Sagi has the most amazing potstickers out there, and there are so many others

These activities will certainly keep you active throughout the holidays. However, if you are looking for something slightly more low-key but still trying to get away from a gadget, there are self-care activities that you can take part in. Taking yourself to a spa to get a treatment done counts as being productive! Finding exactly what works for you is the key to a great winter break.

On a more educational note, if you want a head start on the upcoming semester, reading some of the course content during the break would be a great way to do this.

If you’re truly eager to have a productive holiday break, you will find something to keep you busy. There are so many activities that can be done to fill your time, it’s just a matter of finding exactly what suits you!

Whether it’s getting a job for the break or finally having time for your hobbies. Regardless, students should take advantage of the time they have away from studying as when January’s classes begin, it is expected that students' schedules take over and make it harder for them to find time for activities and hobbies.