What Winter Break Feels Like

The new school year has started, and it’s 2026! People spent their winter breaks making memories and feeling less stressed than they usually do at school, but getting back into the swing of things may make you feel like 2026 isn’t your year and bring you frustration. Every year, when you return to school after a three-week break, you feel a mix of emotions and stress, as if you had forgotten you were a student.

Why Is Returning So Hard?

Attendance among students in grades 10-12 often drops significantly once January arrives. There are some terms used for students returning, such as “The winter blues” and “the school refusal spike.” Typically, 1-3 weeks after the new semester begins, these begin. 

Student Emotions and Anxiety

Students going back from any break always struggle; during winter break, most people live very calmly and freely. Laziness often sets in for students when they have no responsibility for doing schoolwork or for waking up early. Students often burn out from all the hard work they did in the first semester and forget about the second semester. 

Routine changes: sleeping in becomes the norm, lying in bed or on the couch all day becomes the norm. Motivation fades; weeks away from school, students often will forget all the work their brains do during school. They often don’t want to do any schoolwork when you return because it feels too hard. When you are on winter break, you are surrounded by people you know and maybe trust very well, and you get to choose who you want to be around. When students return to school, they feel scared and anxious because they may have lost their sense of comfort. 

Should Teachers Be Easy on Students When They Return?

School is sometimes scary when returning because you want to keep your grades high, and sometimes teachers expect you to be able to jump right back in and keep up with lots of assignments. Should teachers be easier on students the week they return? 

Teachers have the same hard time as the students thought; they have the same routine, shock, and anxiety about doing work. A psychology professor named Jenneifer Fredericks said, “ even a week off for kids and adults… can be really disruptive,” in an article called “Tips for Easing Students Back into Routines after winter break.  Some teachers are also straightforward, like Billie H., who said, “Besides reviewing expectations, we jumped right back in,” in the same article. 

Everyone is human, and it is normal to feel exhausted and drained after a nice, relaxing break. What can you do to make the transition smoother? 

In the article “6 tips for sending kids back to school after breaks,” written by Kelly Louise Depew Henchel, M.D., and Barry Solomon, they discuss how, as the break approaches and gets closer to the start of school, you should begin to adjust your sleep schedule. You should also keep in mind that school can be fun and is a core memory of your childhood, so enjoy it in the moment.

Many articles mention how it is often the case that when students come back from breaks, it follows with depression and anger. It is good to have someone to talk to and relate to. Keep in mind, you are not the only one who has a hard time coming back after break!