1.    Take a walk

Whether you’re staying in Falmouth or Penryn for the break or heading home, use the time to see a new place by heading out for a walk. Just five or ten minutes gives you a fresh perspective on the day and might lead you to somewhere you’ve never been before.

2.    Get creative (in a different way)

If you’re studying a creative subject, you’re probably creating things all the time as part of your learning and for the enjoyment of it. However, sometimes this can come with pressure to create in a certain way or for a particular goal. Take off the pressure and let yourself get creative for absolutely no reason other than joy.

Use a pen and paper to draw doodles, fold the paper into origami shapes, record the birds in the garden with your phone camera or trace shapes in the mud while out on a walk. Let yourself create in whatever way works for you.

3.    Read a book

A perfect escape and proven way to relax, reading a book (that doesn’t relate to your course!) is a great way to spend your time during the break, especially if its raining! Plus, the library have cancelled recalls over the 2022 winter break so you don’t have to return library books until 23 January 2023.

4.    Meditation

The break from studying is a great opportunity to try things you’ve never done before and start new habits. Meditation is shown to reduce stress and anxiety as well as giving you some time in your day that’s all about calm.

You can find lots of meditations for free on Youtube or sign up to a meditation app with a free trial period (just set a reminder in your phone calendar to cancel if you don’t want to pay for it!).

5.    Connect with friends and loved ones

Human connection is super powerful. If you’re feeling lonely, the hardest part is reaching out but always remember how you would feel if someone reached out to you for a catch up or simply a chat about the weather. It’s always good to hear from the people we care about and the people who care about you will feel exactly the same.

Connecting doesn’t have to be in person – facetime or video calls are an exciting way to talk to people who are on the other side of the country or even the world.

For more information about services available over the winter break, visit our seasonal signposting.

If you’ve got a tip or idea you’d like to add here, please let us know by emailing info@thesu.org.uk.