Whether your final year is drawing to a close or your high-school career is just starting, it’s never too early to practice productivity during the school holidays. Now, don’t get us wrong, we’re not saying to forego all the fun in favour of some career-building school holiday activities. Rather, we’re just suggesting that some of your time off could be spent upskilling, interning or gaining a little work experience (and if we’re honest, doing so is super fun!)
If you’re drawing a blank on productive school holiday activities or simply don’t know where to start looking for work experience or internships, don’t worry! We’ve got you covered. So, sit back, relax, and start planning how you’re going to spend your summer school holidays. Trust us; if you take our advice, it’ll be a year to remember!
How To Spend Your School Holidays Productively
So, you’re ready to kick off your most productive school holidays yet. We love the enthusiasm; why not parlay that into some background research and productivity planning? By figuring out what the term ‘productivity’ means to you, setting achievable goals, and making sure you have plenty of time left for fun, you’re bound to be successful, so we think it’s time to dive straight in!
First Things First: Define Productive
Before anything else, we need to clarify what productivity actually is. After all, we can’t be productive if we don’t know what we’re aiming for! Cambridge Dictionary describes productivity as ‘the rate at which a person, company, or country does useful work.’ This definition is true, but we think it lacks a little nuance.
If you ask us, productivity relates to how much effort we put into bettering ourselves, setting up our futures and investing time in worthwhile pursuits. Productivity can be as simple as spending time with your pet and, in doing so, brightening both of your days. Alternatively, it can be as complex as learning about metaphysics so you can breeze through your future university degree. There isn’t a right or wrong way to be productive; it all depends on what you, as an individual, deem worthwhile ways to spend your time!
What’s Toxic Productivity?
When we start focusing on increasing productivity, we run the risk of falling into the trap of toxic productivity. We know, the term can sound a little confusing. After all, it’s hard to imagine productivity being a bad thing!
However, when we take it too far, thus putting way too much pressure on ourselves, toxic productivity emerges. It can lead to us overworking ourselves, feeling guilty about how we spend our time, letting self-care slip, feeling burnt out, and many more negative effects.
To prevent toxic productivity, ensure that you’re leaving plenty of time for the things you love doing and look after yourself. Create a balanced schedule rather than a super-strict regimen; that way your progress will be sustainable!
Kickstart Your Career These School Holidays
Here at Explore Careers, we’re all about kickstarting career journeys, and we believe that it’s never too early to start planning your future. That’s why one of our top tips for making your school holidays productive is to land some work experience or an internship in a field you’re interested in. We know; it sounds like a tall order, but it isn’t as tricky as you think. In fact, we’re about to prove it!
Work Experience and Internships
Work experience and internships are fantastic ways to try out an industry you’re interested in, get some hands-on experience, and connect with industry professionals. Not only will these kinds of experiences clarify whether a particular industry is for you, but they also look great on your resume and could set you apart from other candidates!
To land work experience or an internship, you have a few options. You could speak to your career advisor and ask if they know of any opportunities, or you could email companies directly to ask if they have positions available (we recommend starting with the employers on our employer’s page)! Many employers also offer special opportunities over the summer school holidays so that you can be fully immersed over the long break. AKA, the best time to start looking is now!
Not Ready for The Workforce? Try These Productive School Holiday Activities
If you don’t want to spend your school holidays working, that’s totally okay too! Just because you aren’t pursuing work experience, or an internship doesn’t mean that you can’t be productive. In fact, there are tonnes of alternative ways to make the most of your school holidays!
Start Preparing for University
If you just completed Year 13 and plan to attend university next year, congratulations! Starting a degree is a super exciting endeavour and a great way to set yourself up for a rewarding career. If you want to start out on the right foot, using your school holidays to get ahead on reading lists and a little pre-studying could be a great option. However, it’s important to remember to take it easy; you don’t want to start university burnt out!
Take The Time to Upskill
Is there a skill or hobby that you’ve been wanting to get better at? Now is the perfect time! Whether you want to become a nifty knitter, soccer star, painting pro or coding whizz, the school holidays offer plenty of time to hone your skills and become the best you can be!
Invest in Yourself
We all know self-care is super important. However, actually practising self-care can be tricky when you’re a newbie to cooking, mindfulness and exercise. Dedicating your school holidays to things like learning to cook nutritious food, developing a realistic workout plan, or starting a meditation practice can help you feel more centred and ready for the year ahead.
Supercharge Your Studies Today!
If you’re reading this article on school holidays, we’re willing to bet that you’re a student! And in that case, we have something pretty cool to show you: our Student Life blog!
If you ever need guidance on anything school-related, scroll through our many study-related articles, and you’re sure to find the information you need. In fact, we think you should check it out right now! Head over to the blog and make sure you’re crushing it at school rather than feeling crushed by the pressure!
