Hurrah! It's the holidays

One of the advantages of being a teacher is the six-week summer holiday. However, many of us feel guilty about using this time as a holiday and taking a proper break from work.

You are allowed a summer holiday.

Here are some tips to help you relax, recharge and replenish before the new term. This article is based on my personal experience of learning to wind down, relax into the holiday and then towards the end of the holiday, to wind up again for work.

Winding down

Many of us have experienced hanging on until the last day of term, dragging ourselves in and then on the first day of the holiday we get a cold or are just too exhausted to do anything.

A trick I have been using is to plan ahead for my breaks. In my diary, I will plan one or two weeks of winding down before the break. During this time, I make sure I know what has to be done, avoid taking on anything else, and slowly move towards relaxation mode. You’ll find tips to help with the kinds of decisions you’ll face about what is a commitment or a choice, fixed or flexible in Take back control. The key point is, start to shift your focus from ‘work mode’ to ‘relax mode’.

Relaxation

Before your holiday, get into holiday mode. Creating a holiday diary, including planning your relaxation, is a great way to start looking forward to your plans.

In the lead-up to your holiday, shorten your working day, if possible. Maybe going in a bit later or coming home a bit earlier.

If you are going away on holiday, start planning and packing. And if you have children, get them involved too. These activities will help you to start to look forward to the break.

I remember a summer holiday in Gran Canaria where I was sat on sunbed by a pool writing a scheme of work. I was still in work mode and although I didn’t feel any expectation to do this, I couldn’t switch off. Relaxing, for many of us, has to be an active process.

So plan to relax and do things that will help you to relax. I find during the first few days of trying to unwind I can be restless, have a short concentration span and feel I should be doing something. It’s part of the process, so ride it out.

Getting away from work and home by going on a holiday can be a great way to relax. I have a place I go to each year, a resort where I know I can relax because I know the travel involved, the routine and the people. Other colleagues have their own particular summer place, be it a cottage in Wales or a campsite in Devon. However, travelling can be stressful, particularly with children. Lessen the potential stress points by avoiding rushing and planning to not plan. For example, take the stress out of travelling to your holiday destination, by making a day of it, whether that’s the trip to the airport or the car journey to your accommodation. As well as planning to experience new activities and sights on your trip, plan in some quiet time, some time with no plans.

Winding back up

Towards the end of the holiday, ‘returning to work’ anxiety can start to creep in. We feel we should be doing something. Avoid over preparing for your return. I remember planning the lessons for most of the autumn term only to have half my classes changed due to unexpected staff changes.

To shift back into work mode, perhaps in the final week of the holiday, you could:

• Decide on a default plan, so you can look after yourself and be productive; you can download a default plan from the Take back control article.
• Read Self-care tips for teachers to ensure you look after yourself.
• Organise your diary, identifying where the breaks are and when you will wind down.
• Read a book about teaching to get thinking again. I used to read a book on behaviour management to remind myself.

Remember, you are entitled to your holiday, you deserve a break, so make the most of it and enjoy it. Happy holidays.