Do You Actually Take Time Off?

Every December I start to notice something in the educator and coaching community. We all begin talking about winter break with excitement. We say we are looking forward to slowing down, resting, catching our breath. But when I gently ask whether people truly step away, the answer is often mixed.

Many are still seeing a few students.
Still checking emails.
Still planning for January.
Still quietly working in the background because it feels easier than stopping.

It made me wonder. Have we normalized looking like we are taking a break without ever letting our nervous system fully experience one

Why this matters
Regulation is not only something we support in students. It begins in our own nervous system. The prefrontal cortex, which handles planning, flexible thinking, emotional regulation, and decision making, relies on genuine restorative time. When we continue working through a supposed break, even in small ways, the brain does not reset. It simply shifts into conservation mode.

Research consistently shows that fatigue reduces working memory accuracy and narrows attention. Emotional reactivity climbs faster. Cognitive flexibility decreases. These shifts are not signs of weakness. They are signs that the system has been running on reserve.

A question for all of us
When winter break arrives, do you actually stop
Or do you keep going in quieter ways
One more student. One more parent message. One more small project. One more attempt to get ahead.

There is no judgment in the question. Most of us entered this field because we care. Caring makes it difficult to step all the way back.

A moment of honesty
Even though I teach regulation all year long, December is always the month when my own brain taps me gently and says enough. This year I finally decided to listen. I am taking a full week off. A real week. No sessions. No projects. No quiet tinkering on new content. Connected Pathways Coaching will be closed until January sixth.

And yes, I am proud of this growth.

Why this pause matters
Students draw on our regulation more than they draw on our instruction. They feel our steadiness long before they absorb our words. When our nervous system is stretched, they sense it. When our system is balanced, they settle more easily.

We cannot model regulation for our students if we ignore it within ourselves.
We cannot help students reset if we never reset our own system.
We cannot show them balance while living in imbalance.

A reflection for your break
What kind of rest does your nervous system actually need
Not the pretend rest where you check email.
Not the partial rest where you squeeze in a few tasks.
The kind of rest that allows your prefrontal cortex to exhale.

One small invitation
Choose one rhythm this break that protects your energy. Something small and doable.
A slow walk.
A warm drink without multitasking.
A morning moment of quiet.
A pause before picking up your phone.
Five minutes of tidying to create visual calm.

Small rhythms steady the system more than we realize.

As we step into the break
Give yourself permission to pause in a way that feels real. Your brain will thank you. Your students will benefit. January will meet you with more clarity and capacity.

We will be back January sixth, rested and ready. I hope you will be too. Happy Holidays!