Self-care and reset days have taken the internet by storm, and rightfully so. Whether mentally or physically, there is nothing better than a day dedicated to yourself.
Face masks, candles and good playlists are just some of the components that quantify a personal reset. Yet in the chaos of life, it can be difficult to allot time to take part in self-care, which is why the opportunity of winter break should not be wasted.
Once the stress of finals has cleared and the madness of the holidays has simmered, winter break is the prime time to take care of you. The three-week span can be utilized to dabble in adventures and hobbies that allow you to recharge and recapture the person you want to be. It’s like a personal rebranding, dare I say.
And by no means am I insinuating that if you aren’t traveling the world or reading 10 books a day you aren’t maximizing your winter break. Instead, it’s just a matter of finding simple things each day to work towards.
At the very core, the best way to redefine yourself is through the process of decluttering. Despite what our consciousness tells us, it’s usually best to let go. With the incoming new year, embodying “out with the old and in with the new” is the most effective way of channeling a refreshed self.
Decluttering can apply to many aspects of life. I know we all could use a good cleaning of the camera roll. The 40 photos from your White-Out photoshoot are no longer all necessary.
Your camera role should be a place of comfort where you get can go to reminisce and smile. Your storage needs a break too, so filter it out to have the space to welcome in more memories.
Equally dissect your student online storage by taking the time to organize and rearrange your downloads and documents. Make it easier for you and your academic mind to digest before entering the new semester.
Decluttering can apply to friendships or relationships of any kind; if you aren’t gaining any mutual supply of positivity or love then it’s time to disregard. You’re working to enter a new era of yourself, but in order to do so, you must prioritize dynamics that don’t hold negative baggage.
Alongside such, purging your weeded closet is also a way to rebrand. The eighth-grade jeans marinating in your bottom drawer are no longer a necessity, and that jacket you only wore once will see much better days elsewhere.
This feeds into the aspect of giving back. During the holidays there are a collection of organizations and community services that welcome a plethora of donations. Whether it be food pantries or clothing drives, the smallest bits help.
The value of such a positive exchange is unmatched. Repurposing and giving back unlocks your own inner sense of gratitude and love for your community. You gain a compass of giving that leads you down a path of goodness that shall trial into the new year.
In this period of rebranding, you want to elevate your style and experiences. Once you’ve decluttered your closet, don’t be hesitant to explore new stores or with clothing items you’ve yet to try. Purchase the bell-bottomed jeans you’ve been eyeing or the brightly colored Adidas sambas that have been sitting in your online shopping cart. This is the time to start anew.
And of course, at the core of self-care and reestablishing yourself, there are the mental strategies of picking up journaling, practicing affirmations or even exercising your creativity through art or curating playlists.
However, let’s be honest, upholding all these goals is quite ambitious, and chances are we’ll find ourselves right back in the same place next winter.
Even so, it’s important to optimize the time we have to channel our best selves and celebrate our hard work this first semester.
Even if it’s just little bits and pieces each day, utilize your winter break to rebrand yourself into the person you want to be this upcoming next year, and give thanks to the person you were this past one. We’re all deserving of a reset.