1. Being a high school student is tiring and stressful, no matter what adults may say. Homework, sports, activities and jobs all take up a lot of time, and many of us struggle to get enough sleep on school nights. Take advantage of your cleared schedule and rest for a little longer to recharge your body and mind.
2. Another great way to hit the reset button is a relaxing spa day. If you have a steady hand, paint your nails a cool wintery hue to celebrate this blessing of winter weather. If not, go to Pinterest and search homemade face masks, especially something hydrating for the cold’s effect on your skin. Slather it on and relax in a hot bubble bath, and watch an episode of your favorite show. Visit this link for face mask recipes.
3. Maybe a day of pampering isn’t your speed and you would rather get cozy on your couch and spend a few hours watching Netflix. Binge watch the greatest show ever, Parks and Recreation or the slightly less amazing The Office. Maybe even a movie marathon. Try Harry Potter in preparation for the Yule Ball on Saturday or you’re feeling inspired by Mr. NCHS and prefer Disney, watch the movies the ten senior boys portrayed on stage Wednesday night. To make it more interesting, craft a cozy fort out of blankets and pillows and settle in with plenty of snacks.Visit this link for movie, TV Show and other recommendations.
4. If nothing else, school is a great place to socialize and see friends almost every day of the week. The beauty of modern video gaming is the ability to play with friends while still being in the comfort and safety of your own home. If you’ve been swept up in the Fortnight craze, a snow day is a perfect opportunity to play for an extending amount of time without fear of forgetting to do your homework. There are of course many other games to play and if you have siblings at home or friends willing to brave it on the treacherous roads to your house, a Mario Kart tournament is never a bad idea. For those who want to test their word creating abilities in Scrabble, flex their economics knowledge in Monopoly or are simply bored by the idea of staring at a screen all day, board games are another great options.
5. Some of you may be getting cabin fever just reading this and are more interested in taking full advantage of the winter weather, there is plenty of outdoor fun possible too. Creative types may want
   to make something out of snow, from snowmen to multi-room forts, they are easy enough to do in your yard or maybe even your unplowed street. For the more adventurous types, visit Rotary Hill to sled, toboggan or grease your stomach and slide down. Find a few friends and race the little kids also enjoying their day off, or engage them in a snowball fight. If you’re extremely coordinated and an avid winter lover, cross country ski around the streets of Naperville, instead of risking it to drive. If you are none of these things and just love the snow, making snow angels is always okay too.
6. After a long day playing in the snow or if you’re just not a fan of being surrounded in frozen water molecules, a bake day is an option as well. Whether you want to pick a theme, like Nutella, or just want variety, flip through a few cookbooks or scroll through Pinterest, Instagram or Twitter to find a few tasty recipes. If you’re up for the task pick up the necessary ingredients at the store or use what’s in your kitchen, and bake away. It’s more fun with friends but solo baking is also a blast, and it means more treats for yourself.
7. The flu is also going around and if you’ve been taken down by one of its forms, use the day to speed up your recovery before Winter, by resting, drinking plenty of fluids and resting.
8. If you have a job and want to make a little extra money to cover the costs of Winter, save up for spring shopping or are setting money aside for college or a car, pick up an extra shift. Unless your place of employment is closed, as nobody will be working and your employer will not want, need or pay you to be working.
9. And finally, for you responsible students, whether you are not inflicted by senioritis, are buried in late work or are simply on top of your life, a day off is a great time for homework. If you have a lot that needs to get done and struggle with having a full, unstructured day, make a plan. Write out a list of everything that needs to get done, with the estimated time you think it will take to complete the assignment. Prioritize each task and then create a timeline for the day, listing times for breaks to eat, stretch, or check your phone. Find a place that you will feel productive, whether it’s the desk in your room, your kitchen table or you make the trek to Starbucks. Put on music, like a study playlist or the new Black Panther soundtrack, unless you prefer silence. The final and most crucial component of productivity is to stop using your phone. Set a timer for each task on your list and put your phone on do not disturb, airplane mode and set it aside or spend the money to invest in an app like Forest, which blocks you from using your phone while you grow a tree for each time segment you don’t exit out of the app. Visit this link to download the Forest app.

Whatever you do on your day off, just make sure you are being safe and responsible. If you are going to be out on the roads, drive carefully and watch out for stupid drivers. Dress warm when you go outside and try not to spend your entire day glued to a screen. Have fun and see you at school on Monday!