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Winter Break R&R Tips from PAU Faculty and Staff
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It’s that time of year again! The end of the quarter and winter break are upon us.
As faculty and students head off for some well-deserved R&R, we asked them to share mental health tips or even guilty pleasures for getting through the holidays. Do they have a daily gratitude practice or a favorite holiday treat? Mariah Carey songs - love them or leave them? How about special traditions?
We hope you consider the helpful tips and laugh along with the fun ones!
Monica Chavez, Associate Director of Admissions, Systems, & Operations
We are planning to take my partner's kid to Gilroy Gardens for their holiday season. We went for Halloween and it was a blast. Personally, I'm doing a holiday fitness challenge where you have to do a short workout/activity a day for less than 10 minutes.
June Klein, Vice President for Business Affairs and CFO
I watch my favorite Christmas movies. I watch about four every year, but my favorite is probably "The Santa Clause (1994)." I own about ten.
Stacey Lien Boyko, Sr. Program Manager, PGSP-Stanford Psy.D. Consortium
My guilty pleasures:
- Amaretto hot chocolate and Swedish-glogg. Both remind me of my travels through Europe during the holidays.
- Watching the Muppets Christmas Carol - best one out there.
- Shop early (like summer and early fall)
- Put up the tree right after Thanksgiving dinner so that visiting friends and family can all participate, plus it maximizes the time you get to enjoy the holiday season!
- (In true data nerd fashion) I keep a matrix in Google Sheets of all the presents I purchase -- each column is a giftee, and the rows are each present they are being gifted. That way each present has a letter/number (like B-4). I wrap presents EARLY (like in late November) and put a Post-It note on each one with the corresponding matrix letter/number so that I can remember what's in each wrapped gift. I'm done wrapping early and never have to do any last-minute panic shopping or stay up late on Christmas Eve with scissors and tape.
- I host a baked potato bar on Christmas Eve for family and neighbors (I bake the potatoes and each guest brings a topping like chili, bacon, or broccoli), and then I get to use the left-over baked potatoes for the Christmas dinner mashed potatoes the next day.
- Daily afternoon naps are my jam on winter break.
- Every year around Christmas everyone in my family sits down to watch “Love Actually.” It doesn't really feel like Christmas without that movie time.
- Every year, except for once or twice, I've always gone home to San Diego. So, the holiday break for me always means flip-flops, shorts, taco shops, and beach time.
- The Christians and the Pagans, by Dar Williams
- Sweet Honey in the Rock Christmas songs
- This Hanukkah, by Club Sofa
- O Holy Night, with new lyrics by Holly Near
- Everything Possible, by Fred Small, performed by The Flirtations
- City Hall or Lullabye for a Stormy Night, both by Vienna Teng
- helps to keep the conversation focused on things that are fun, interesting, and engaging and to help families learn more about one another; especially across generations and
- helps to avoid conversations that could be contentious, difficult, or political!
- Take time to care for yourself. Carve out that YOU time, you will not regret it! Enjoy the beautiful light in the sky by taking a walk at dawn or dusk (a walking meditation is one of my favorite destressers)!
- Do something for others. Volunteer, help a neighbor, give to a food bank or your favorite nonprofit organization. Compliment someone, let a loved one know how much you care about them, or forgive someone who has wronged you.
- Create a relaxing environment. A comforting, uplifting and relaxing environment can help you feel calmer and more centered and reduce your stress. I love to decorate (some may claim - overdecorate???) for the holidays, but go minimalist if that is best for you!