With winter holidays coming, post-secondary students in Toronto are anxiously awaiting the end of studies to step out and have some well-deserved fun.
As snow begins to cover the streets of Toronto, events and festivities are quickly gaining popularity as young adults move away from their hectic schedules and find themselves immersed in the joy of relaxing over the holiday season.
Brampton-based psychotherapist Sheffy Bhayee has seen a lot of mental health issues recently in young adults struggling with the pandemic and other pressures in their daily lives.
She describes the importance of self-monitoring, and setting realistic goals when things start to feel overwhelming. Rather than confining themselves indoors to stress about the future, students should find time to reset and essentially “pull the cord out of the power outlet.” Using little excuses to leave their home, like going for a haircut or shoveling the snow are healthy ways to help divert your focus.
Nurturing special social connections is also something to invest in while this window of opportunity makes way.
“It helps to take away that feeling of isolation sometimes,” Bhayee said. “Events are naturally going to help us feel good inside. That’s an excuse to help feel a little bit again, and it helps us to build some level of consistency in our life too.”
To help students decompress and restore their mental sanity after a busy semester, students can indulge in five wholesome activities listed for this winter.
GlowZone 360
If you’re in the mood for an an all-in-one indoor location for activities like mini-golf, arcade games or laser-tag, you can check out GlowZone 360.
Get directions here: 4800 Dixie Rd, Mississauga.
Stackt Market
Stackt Market is in a secluded yet central part of Toronto. It features an unconventional design model with storage containers as stores. For those of you looking for a less crowded market that still hosts a diverse selection of vendors and stalls, this is one of best options.
One new and exciting attraction at Stackt is the Crokicurl Rink. Crokicurl was first introduced in Winnipeg, and the concept of the activity combines the board game crokinole and the sport: curling and turning it life-sized. The aim of the game is to have two people at a time, slide their rock pieces towards the centre of the rink to land into the only hole. A tutorial of this game is shown in this video.
Get directions here: 28 Bathurst St, Toronto.
Celebration Square
Celebration Square is a designated activity space in downtown Mississauga, where people can spend time outdoors with their family and friends. It’s a distanced area away from cars passing by, which offers a sense of safety to freely walk around.
While you’re there you can try ice skating, buy some food from different gourmet food trucks and check out any other new event happening.
Get directions here: Celebration Square, Mississauga
Polar Winter Festival
This Christmas-themed light festival is a walk-through experience that includes an outdoor lounging area.
The Polar Winter Festival is only here until Dec. 26.
Get directions here: Exhibition Grounds, Toronto
Volunteer with a charitable organization
It’s the season of giving, so why not volunteer at your local food bank or another charitable organization?
“I think that [volunteering] is a really positive way to connect with yourself, but also with other people in your community and get that sense of selflessness,” Bhayee said.
Bhayee recommends connecting with elderly people in seniors homes who may be having many chances to interact with people or to give back by donating to food or clothing drives.
Five charitable organizations in the GTA:
Find more one-day volunteer opportunities here.