Christmas and the new year are approaching fast, and the few weeks before term starts again are the ideal time to get a fresh start. Just because it’s Christmas, it doesn’t mean caring for your mental health has to be put on hold.

Below are some tips on how you can make the most of the Christmas holidays 

Relax

Whilst a little stress can improve performance, too much stress can become debilitating and have detrimental effects on well-being. 

• If you have revision to do it is important that you set aside some days to relax and unwind, as the quality of the revision is as important as the quantity. 

• Socialising with friends, exercising, watching festive films or occasionally treating yourself to some Christmas snacks are all ways to boost your mood and wellbeing over the holidays!

Take Time to Exercise

Not only does exercise bring physical health benefits, research has also shown that it can improve mood, as it causes the release of endorphins, which trigger positive feelings. 

• Engaging in physical exercise will often help you feel content, awake and calmer. 

• The effect of exercise is greatest when your mood was initially low

Set Goals for the New Year

The new year provides a perfect chance for you to set new goals. 

• Setting goals has a positive impact, helping you improve your effort, attention and persistence.

• Goals should be challenging but realistic and written down, with family members being involved in the process, as this commits you to them, making your efforts more focused.

Create Healthy Routines

Get into the habit of eating a healthy breakfast, high in fibre each morning. 

• Research has demonstrated that breakfast could be particularly helpful for those studying for mocks in January.

• Studies have found that students who skipped breakfast or only had an energy drink performed worse in attention and memory tasks when compared to those who had eaten breakfast.

Improve Self-Awareness

Improving your self-awareness would be a productive way for you to spend your Christmas holidays, as you who are self-aware tend to act more consciously. 

• You’ll make better decisions, have a more positive outlook on life and higher levels of well-being.

• Improve your self-awareness by evaluating your strengths and opportunities. 

• Being aware of these means that you can work on your opportunities and seek help if it is needed to make the necessary improvements.

Sleep

A good night’s sleep is so important when it comes to looking after your mental health. 

• It’s said that teenagers need an average of nine-and-a-half hours' sleep each night. 

• When it comes to the festive period, ensuring you get enough sleep can become difficult due to things like late nights at home and parties. 

• Make sure you get back into your normal sleeping routine easily, try going to bed at normal times as the festive period draws to a close. 

• This will make getting up for school a lot easier and, in turn, will help your mental health a lot.

Re-visit Studied Material

The Christmas holidays provide a good opportunity for you to review information learnt the previous term. 

• Starting the revision process early makes preparing for end of year exams less stressful. 

• It allows for more effective revision processes to be used, as you don’t have to resort to cramming in as much as you can in the days (even hours) before an exam.

• Space out your learning – you’ll have enough time to forget and re-learn information, increasing the chance it will be committed to the long-term memory and retrievable in exams.