1. Spend time with family

It's typical for one to spend time with their family around the holidays, but it feels much better to do so more often than just then. Make the effort to spend a day out with your mom, or get in touch with your cousins and have a night out together. This is especially important if you go away to school, as you're not around all the time to do so.

2. Volunteer

Nothing feels better than to do things out of pure heart and good intentions. There are countless options for ways you can volunteer and give back to your community. Get out there and do it, you won't regret it and it is definitely not time wasted. It's a win-win for everybody!

3. Travel/Explore

Go somewhere you've never been before, whether that means traveling 10,000 miles, or going to that new place down the road. Explore new things like different foods and experience new places. Who knows, something random may become your next favorite thing.

4. Celebrate

I can assume most of you celebrated Christmas, but sometimes New Years gets thrown aside and overlooked. You owe it to yourself to go out and have a good time. What better excuse to celebrate than bringing in a new year? Don't be a homebody, you'll have more fun being out than laying in bed. I promise.

5. Exercise

That thing you've been avoiding all semester...what's it called again? Oh yeah, exercise. Get off your lazy butt and do it. This is a big one because of the holidays during winter break. You'll eat extremely unhealthy no matter how hard you try not to, so compensate for that with working out. Exercise really does bring a feeling of accomplishment and joy, what could be better than that?

6. Relax

You don't always have to be out and doing things at all times during break. It's okay to take time to just sit down and relax. After all, you haven't gotten to do this much in the past few months, so you've earned it. Just don't spend all break doing it, you'll form a habit that'll be hard to break once winter break has ended.

7. Make time for yourself

This is essential just in life in general, but more importantly during winter break. This is because during winter break you actually have time to make time for yourself. It feels crazy, right? To actually have time to do something you want to do. Watch your favorite movie, read your favorite book, whatever puts you into that "you" time - do it.

8. Get together with old friends

You don't always get to see your friends with how busy each of your schedules are with school and work, etc. Make time to get together with them to reminisce on old times and create new memories.