With the craziness of last week and the stress of midterms and exams this week, it’s crazy to think that spring break is right around the corner. I don’t know if everyone is in the same boat, but being home for almost a week due to the water main break made me want spring break even more than usual. I didn’t realize how much rest I needed and how I was always in “go-mode.” So with the anticipation leading up to spring break, I have created a guide to get the most out of your spring break:
1. First and foremost, you deserve this time to rest and recharge without having to worry about classes, tests, or other commitments. I know that it can be difficult to let yourself rest, but spring break really is the time for it. If you’re able, don’t set that alarm clock, or just go to bed early if you don’t have much else to do other than scroll on your phone for hours. Spend the extra time getting out of bed in the morning, and take that nap if you need it.
2. Try to maintain somewhat of a school mindset. Partially related, I have this completely irrational fear that I will wake up one day and just forget everything that I’ve ever learned in school — like I won’t be able to do addition or subtraction, or read, or pretty much anything, that the knowledge will all just leave my brain. If you in any capacity related to that fear, a lot of times, a “break” can seem scary and like it’s just asking your brain to forget. Believe me, I am not telling you to do work over spring break. Please don’t do work over spring break. But maybe every other day pick up your notebook and just remind yourself that the knowledge is in fact not leaving your brain.
3. Recharge and change things up. Now is the time, if any, to try to change your schedule around. Maybe for the rest of the semester, you’ll try doing laundry on Mondays instead of Fridays, or you’ll go on your run at night instead of in the morning with the daylight savings change. For me, I’ll be finally organizing my closet before going home (because I have literally not finished moving in. Yikes, embarrassing). I am also going to try to add some mindfulness activities to my daily or weekly schedule, which I’ll start adding in when I don’t have classes and then continue into the rest of the semester.
4. If you’re able, spend time with your family. My favorite part about any break from school is getting to see and spend time with my family. Even though I’m only an hour away from home, it is difficult to get there when I am always booked from Monday to Sunday every week. It’s super scary to think about, but these are going to be some of the last times that I get to spend a lot of free time with my family before I start working (sorry I know, very deep). I try to make a conscious effort when I’m home to play board games with my family so we are actually spending quality time together and not just all sitting in the same room on our phones together.
5. You can do cool things without going on an expensive trip! Please don’t think I am just telling you how to be productive during spring break — it’s also important that you have fun. As a broke college student myself, I am not going anywhere extravagant, but to have a good time, you don’t always need to break the bank. Going to a local park and taking a walk in the fresh air, visiting local historical sites, taking hometown trips with friends from school, and trying new restaurants are just a few ways that I’ll be spending my break without spending too much.
