Today in the car while I was running errands, I heard a radio commercial from the Pennsylvania Department of Health regarding flu prevention. They are telling people with the flu to stay home from work in order to get better and, more importantly, not to spread the sickness to others at work. This naturally led me to think of this from a Student Affairs prospective specifically related to our own undying work ethic and the selfless defiance of “caring for thyself” in the service to others and the notion of always being at work. In many regards (particularly for ResLifers), we overwork ourselves, and it becomes a badge of courage to discuss spending countless hours with campus police or hospital staff, burning the midnight oil with staff on programming initiatives, and caring for the students that we serve. And as we all well know, a “day off” isn’t truly a day off.

That’s why this holiday season, I challenge you to put down the work and truly care for thyself. (As I told a stressed colleague this past week, “Work will be there tomorrow.”) Take the time to spend with friends and family or simply to rest and relax by yourself. Here are 50 suggestions for how you can care for thyself this holiday season:

1. Dont check your work emails during your vacation. Turn on your away message, and stick to it!
2. Do the same for work phone messages. Leave emergency forwarding information for other campus personnel that can assist.
3. Disconnect from all social media (ie., Facebook, Twitter, etc.) for one or two days. Social media has an uncanny way of drawing you back into work.
4. Go to the library and check out a book for casual reading you normally wouldn’t get to do.
5. Play a boardgame or card games when visiting friends and family.
6. Go to the mall and get an Auntie Anne’s pretzel. (Cinnamon sugar is so good!)
7. Treat yourself and a friend for a meal and a seasonal craft drink at a local brewpub.
8. Go ice skating (there are rinks in our nation’s warm regions as well).
9. Take a bunch of naps.
10. Watch those guilty pleasure holiday movies on ABC Family.
11. Check out Groupon.com for awesome holiday offers.
12. Go to a spa for a day of personal pampering.
13. Tailgate at your local NFL city even if you don’t have tickets to the game.
14. Call a family member or friend you haven’t spoken to in awhile.
15. Chill out all day watching Netflix movies online or on DVD.
16. Take your laptop to your local free WiFi spot to surf the web for fun.
17. Hang out at the mall and people watch.
18. Get a bunch of friends and family together to go to the movies and a snack afterwards.
19. Check the paper for free local cultural events and opportunities to attend.
20. Get some coloring books and crayons and color with your kids, grandkids, nieces, and nephews.
21. Share time looking at old family photos with relatives.
22. Rent an entire season of your favorite TV show and watch all of the episodes back-to-back.
23. Go for a longer run than normal.
24. Take a long car ride to a favorite local place or somewhere brand new to you (explore!)
25. Purchase and put together a holiday puzzle.
26. Try a new flavored coffee you’ve never tried.
27. Attend a local holiday parade.
28. Take friends and family and get photos with Santa.
29. Enjoy some holiday-colored-sprinkled Krispy Kreme doughnuts.
30. Play video games all day with no regret.
31. Attend a local sporting event.
32. Attend a holiday murder mystery dinner.
33. Create a 2010 memory photo book on Shutterfly or Snapfish.
34. Start a personal private journal.
35. Write a personal list (not work-related) of New Year’s Resoultions and share with friends and family.
36. Make New Year’s Eve plans to attend a dinner/dance/concert/comedian and mingle with people you do not know.
37. Plan and begin a new exercise routine.
38. Sign up for and attend a Zumba class.
39. Spend a day watching funny and entertaining videos on YouTube.
40. Take a train or bus trip to the city.
41. Invite a friend to go along with you to spend your holiday gift cards.
42. Test drive a brand new car you would like to buy.
43. Get a group of friends or relatives together and drive to see a large holiday light display.
44. Try cooking a new recipe and share a meal with a friend.
45. Bundle up with a loved-one and drink hot chocolate on the porch (if in colder climates)
46. Attend local “First Night” festivities on New Year’s Eve with friends and family.
47. Write a letter with pen and paper to someone special and mail it.
48. Spend extra time with your hobby (e.g., cooking, crafting, geneaology, scrapbooking, etc.)
49. Buy a fresh holiday flower arrangement or plant to enjoy in your home.
50. Indulge in something you have been denying yourself (e.g., goodies & treats, personal leisure time, etc.)

What are some other ways you’ll spend enjoying your holiday?

Scott M. Helfrich is the director of upper campus housing at California University of Pennsylvania, co-owner of Student Life Consultants, and the creator of http://www.studentlifeguru.com.