Making the most of your summer break

Making the most of your summer break

The final bell has rung, your students have jumped from their seats and headed for the door …… soon they’re all gone and your classroom is quiet. The summer is here and your time is finally all yours, it’s important you make the most of it.

Take time to get outside each day

According to Mind, the mental health charity, nature can improve your mood, help reduce feelings of stress and improve your physical health. You could take a walk in a green space, such as your local park. Why not enjoy eating a meal outdoors; organise a picnic with family or friends, giving you time to reconnect with loved ones. Or, if you have a beach nearby, go beachcombing and search the shoreline for interesting things – feel the sand between your toes and paddle in the sea.

Get back on track physically

If you feel like this year has led to some level of burnout for you, give working out a whirl! There’s a positive link between exercise and positive mood, better learning and a longer life. Exercise can be free, all you need is a bit of time and a little (or a lot of) sweat. To compliment the exercise, you could try out a new eating plan – how many times did you order a takeaway over the past year because you simply didn’t have time to cook a meal from scratch? Maybe find yourself a fitness buddy, you can motivate each other to keep going.

Embrace relaxation

Now that you're out of the classroom, you can take some time for yourself. Maybe you’d like to travel – a family holiday, a trip to visit relatives or friends. Or perhaps you just want to stay at home and spend time there. You might even want to do nothing – sometimes doing nothing is exactly what teachers should do! More importantly, you need to do whatever feels right for you to help you relax and take the time for some self-care.

After what’s been a year of change, uncertainty and working at a frantic pace, it’s ok to tell yourself to relax; laugh with a friend, read a book, do some yoga …. Or just be you doing nothing!

Reflect on the past year

The holidays offer you a little distance from school, it’s the perfect chance to reflect on the last year. Think about what went well, which lessons need to be tweaked, and which ideas just need to be binned!

As well as reflecting on your teaching life, you may want to take some time to review your personal life. It can be easy to forget about yourself when you’re going at a hundred miles an hour focusing on all the responsibilities in a school year. Summer is the perfect time to think about yourself; did you manage to find time for daily exercise, or eating healthy, or even maintaining a social life and spending time with your loved ones? If the answers aren’t as you’d like them to be, then revamp your routine for the upcoming year.

Teachers need the summer to rest and recuperate. We live in a fast-paced, always on world; so take control of your summer, don’t let it pass you by. Let’s have a great summer – get out there and enjoy it!