The long Christmas holidays are a rare breathing room for tutors. It’s when everything slows down, the calendar finally relaxes, and we get a moment to think clearly again. If you want to use the break to reset without accidentally turning it into an extended nap-fest, here are a few practical ideas to do that.

1. Do a quick, low-pressure year review.
Nothing formal. Just jot down what actually worked this year and what didn’t. Which students made the most progress? Which sessions drained you? What resources kept saving you at the last minute?

2. Clean up your content library.
Not a full overhaul, but just refresh the materials you rely on most. Delete the dead weight, update your favourite scaffolds, and fix any Google Docs you’ve accidentally duplicated twelve times.

3. Sketch your first four weeks.
You don’t need a year-long plan; just map out a soft starting arc for key students. Think: baseline checks, a couple of ready-to-go lessons, and routines you want to lock in early. It’s the difference between walking into Term 1 prepared versus playing catch-up from week one.

4. Reset your boundaries.
This is the perfect moment to decide your realistic workload, when you’re actually free. Update your availability, cancellation rules, and communication expectations now; it’s far easier to set boundaries before the chaos starts.

5. Recharge on purpose.
The simple and actually practical things that can help reset your brain: long walks, reading things not tied to school, and proper downtime. Your energy sets the tone for your sessions.

6. Tidy your systems.
Try new templates, streamline your marking flow, or finally fix your booking and invoicing setup.

Use the break to lighten your load, reset your head, and walk into next year with real momentum. University and life is already pretty demanding, so using prep-time to actually prepare can make the difference between a good February and a rough start.

Toby Bower