How to Find School-Life Balance During the Holidays

Regardless of our roles and positions in life, the holidays arrive each year and tend to bring out both the best and the worst in people. This roller-coaster of emotional ups and downs, schedules, family reunions, parties, and other obligations can be especially tricky when one is also a college student with even more responsibilities including reading, studying, completing assignments, and developing projects. In order to keep one’s “Zen Feeling” during the holidays, as well as keeping up with school, work, and life, the following suggestions are provided:

1. Download whatever music relaxes you and listen to it as often as possible.
2. Do all gift shopping on the internet to save time, gas, and irritating crowds. Remember, great deals can be found on Cyber Monday.
3. Use gift-bags instead of wrapping gifts.
4. Take food to the family get-togethers and parties that have been purchased from the deli, or pre-made that you can “spice up” with some garnishes to make it look homemade.
5. Listen to Christmas carols while you do your schoolwork or in the car (or refer to #1).
6. Remember that if you get a little bit behind, it is not the end of the world. Just have another Christmas cookie and remember that the holidays only come around once per year.

All joking aside, the holidays can take a lot of time away from other responsibilities such as schoolwork. Never be afraid to ask your faculty for extra time if you need it; the worst consequence for asking is that they may say “no.” Being proactive and requesting extra time sooner rather than later may help. Above all, enjoy the holidays and take time out of your busy schedule to embrace the spirit and magic of this special time of year.

– Dr. Kathy Holloway, Full-Time Faculty, RN to BSN Program