Holiday breaks are either a hit or miss. I can’t think of one person that isn’t thankful for time away from the hubbub of exams, homework and extracurriculars. Some, myself included, choose to exile themselves to their home for fear of running into any of my high school peers. Others schedule coffee dates with old “friends” and play a game of whose life sucks the least.

We can even dare to be social with our parents and families when they’re not nagging us about grades or our nonexistent dating lives. Then, there are the few hated professors who seem to think that it’s acceptable to have projects and exams due when we return from the holidays. Halfway through break, or less for those who aren’t as persevering, we’re about to pull our hair out from frustration.

If we’re losing our minds halfway through the weeklong hiatus of Thanksgiving, what is going to happen when we have a whole month off for winter break? Luckily, we won’t have any homework due after break, so we can cross that off our list. Maybe it’s the separation anxiety from all our friends or the fact that there are limited options for entertainment in our hometowns. But why is it that less than a week into break, we’re about to go insane from boredom?

I like to think that we’re losing our minds in a different way than we do over the Thanksgiving holiday. Our minds are still transitioning from finals mode to a month of recuperation that isn’t filled with constant academic disturbances. That’s why the first and last weeks of break are always tricky. The first week of break is coming down off of the high levels of stress. The last week of break, we’re all mentally trudging uphill to prepare ourselves for back-to-school mode.

A good way to make the transitions easier is to stay mentally active. Sleeping in until noon and doing literally nothing productive with your day sounds excellent, but doesn’t it sound like it would get repetitive after a week, let alone a month? Let’s take one of those out of the equation. I’d much rather sleep in until noon, then do something semi mentally stimulating.

If you don’t have the luxury of traveling to a tropical location, you’ll have to get a little creative. Try something that doesn’t require a demanding amount of mental capacity, but, dare I say it, challenges you to at least leave your house. Your itinerary for the day will obviously depend on the weather. If you live in Iowa, you could be having a snowball fight one day and taking a leisurely jog the next.

Learn something new. Go to the library and find a classic you’ve never read. Eat at a restaurant you’ve never visited. If you’re a girl, Pinterest will become your best friend. Try a new recipe with friends or family. (There are male-friendly activities, as well. Don’t be shy.) Make yourself leave your house at least once a day for some fresh air, social interaction, and new experiences. Giving yourself some sort of a schedule will lessen the shock of structured days once winter break is over and we come back to campus.

Another hurdle you’ll need to jump over is family interaction. We get a few days of peace and quiet as we are adjusting to the initial shock of not having anything to do. After that, the nagging starts. As luxurious as it is to have your mom do your laundry and wait on you hand and foot, show her that you’re responsible and do a few loads yourself. It’s likely that you’ve neglected your laundry during Dead Week and finals, so maybe that alone will motivate you to get it done yourself.

The first few days of break will most likely be a drag because we’re getting ourselves out of the crash that follows finals and ready for a month where we aren’t obligated to anything. Don’t let the rest of your break be boring. Keeping yourself semi-engaged while enjoying yourself at the same time will prevent the culture shock of returning to campus, as terrifying as some make it out to be.