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Teachers: How to Use the Christmas Break Wisely

As we move in to the last weeks of winter term, teachers will be looking forward to a well-earned rest over the Christmas break. But how many of us are guilty of not being able to switch off properly from school?

A break over the Christmas period is vitally important. With higher workloads, teachers are facing mounting pressure and stress, much like the mounting pile of books on your desk that you’ve still not got round to marking. While the school holidays are a great time to catch up on the work you’re behind on, it’s equally important to prioritise your wellbeing this Christmas. Because let’s face it, Christmas brings a whole new bunch of stresses in itself, from buying gifts to cooking and dealing with relatives.

A 2015 study by City University London found that time off for teachers is key to avoiding exhaustion and burnout, allowing teachers to “restore their emotional energy.” That seems obvious, but the study also found that teachers who constantly ruminated and worried about work during the Christmas break were less likely to recover fully from the demands of the teaching term. You know who you are if you’re guilty of this. Here’s some tips to make the most of the Christmas break, so that in January you can come back to school more like the shiny, enthusiastic NQT you once were and less the bedraggled, stressed-out version of yourself you’ve started to become.

Switch Off From School

 

Nurture Your Relationships

Plan Your Time Well

Self-Care

Make the most out of your Christmas break by focussing on your wellbeing.