The Christmas holidays may sound like a time where you forget about assignments and completely unwind. You’re not wrong, but it’s important to stay somewhat motivated during this time so that you’re prepared for when classes start in January.
Updated: 22 Sept 2025When you think about the Christmas holidays, you may think about being with family, watching Christmas movies, decorating your home and eating tins of Quality Street until you’re ready to burst.
It’s important to take a break from assignments and coursework and relax for a few weeks, but, as we all know, this can often lead to January panic when you have to go back to classes and realise you’ve spent the entire break procrastinating to the point where you can’t even remember how to use a pen.
Balance is key here, so here’s some tips to keep you motivated during Christmas, while still being able to enjoy the festivities.
You don’t need to pack your entire reading list into your bag because let’s face it, you’ll see the mountain of books, it will intimidate you and you won’t even look at one single page. However, focus your attention on at least one book or piece of reading material. Put it on your bedside table, so that when you wake up every morning it will serve as an unignorable reminder that you have work that needs to be done.
When you’re at home for Christmas, it’s easy to bury your head in the sand and pretend that university or college isn’t real for a few weeks. But this is what leads to that anxiety when you return.
So to keep up to speed, stay connected with your classmates and ask them what they’re up to. The last thing you want is to go back to classes and realise you have a huge assignment due that you knew absolutely nothing about.
Even if that routine is waking up at 11am and sitting on Instagram for an hour before you get out of bed, make sure your day is somewhat organised.
Don’t aim to get up and dive straight into eight hours of uni or school work every single day though. Sprinkle a little bit of work into your schedule, between chilling out, meeting up with school friends and spending time with your family.
Again, nothing too heavy. Set objectives that are easy and achievable.
Make a list of things you absolutely need to do and find a way to break these goals up into daily steps you can take to complete them. If you don’t have any crucial tasks or assignments that you have to do, then make some progress on your reading list, think ahead to what you’d like to achieve in the new year, so that you maintain that sense of motivation ahead of January.
Treat your Christmas holidays like a real chance to recharge your batteries. The first term of university or the start of a new college year can be super intense, so use this opportunity as a chance to unplug, for at least an hour a day. Log out of Instagram for a while, set down your phone and take a walk to get some clarity. Being outdoors is said to lower stress while improving your mood and mental health.
Being in a cluttered space will also clutter your mind. So spend some time cleaning out your bedroom at home, so you have an area that’s welcoming and not distracting to work in.
If you want to binge-watch every single episode of Stranger Things, by all means, go for it. Once you graduate and get a job, you’ll no longer have extended holiday breaks to enjoy, so make the most of it while you can.
However, use this luxury as a reward. Do an hour of reading or light work before, then reward yourself with the longest Netflix bingeing marathon known to mankind. It will make it more enjoyable and you won’t feel as guilty when you realise it’s 11pm and you haven’t moved an inch all day.