It’s that time of the year again, I sigh and take a long drag out of a cigarette. A metaphorical, abstract cigarette, of course; I don’t smoke, and you shouldn’t smoke either. I am exhausted though, and while drugs are a tempting idea to let myself kick back, relax, and ignore all the work I need to do before winter break, there are five other things I resort to, which usually work, before I start going to extremes.
- An everything shower
Ever heard of an everything shower? It’s showering on steroids- think Cassie from Euphoria, when she woke up at 4 am everyday to impress Nate- but more self serving. Typically, I need a drink handy so I don’t faint in the shower from how long I am sitting in it. Everything showers can be 20 to 40 minutes long, and the aftercare is an additional 20 minutes, so it’s imperative you plan ahead; put it in your calendar, tell your friends and family, put your phone on do not disturb mode, and light a candle. I have a specific routine, which requires me to condition my hair after I wash my face, and to rinse the conditioner out of my hair after using a sugar scrub, coating myself in shaving cream, shaving my body, washing everything off with a strawberry scented soap and a silicone body scrubber. The aftercare is also another laundry list of things I need to do, such as putting on a face mask and blow drying my hair. It’s like embodying a snake, who shed its skin. It’s basically the same thing, but more fabulous.
- Bedrotting
I mean, we saw this one coming. After finals, whether it be exams, projects, or essays, all I want to do is stay in bed to compensate for the overdrive I put my body through. The term “bedrotting” may seem like an activity that doesn’t need a step-by-step plan, but for me, there is. First, I need my cat. Last thing I want to do is to be in bed while my cat is meowing and scratching at my door. He’s annoying, but that’s neither here nor there. Second, I need water and snacks. Okay, it’s definitely not the healthiest thing in the world to just eat snacks and lay in bed all day, but remember, this is a once-in-a-while thing. Plus, worrying about it just ruins the entire bedrotting experience. If being in bed, while getting up once in a while to go to the bathroom, seems extreme, some light yoga is always welcomed.Â
- Make a Christmas list
So, I am an adult, which means that I usually just buy whatever I want, and Christmas now is more of a vibe than a whole holiday that I count down for. But who cares, why throw away that youth when you can relive it? Although, in the scenario where you don’t want anything, write down a list of things to give to your friends and family. As cliche as it sounds, the holidays are all about spending time with those who you love, and you may have not gotten the chance to do that while cramming for finals and pulling all-nighters. Have friends that are out of town for the holidays? When they come back, you can surprise them with a gift, making the transition back to school all the easier, as well as preserve the holiday spirit during the first weeks of winter quarter.
- Winter Arc
I recently just found out about this meme, and it’s been killing me since. Basically, you lock in for the rest of December, bulking up before New Years. There is also an implication that by participating in the Winter Arc, you appear more self-disciplined, as you didn’t wait for the New Year to roll around to start working on your dream body. If you haven’t seen the memes on Instagram about the Winter Arc, look it up right now. It’s a serious motivation. Aside from the meme, if you are familiar with gym culture, you know that winter is bulking season, while the summertime is cutting season, where you lose fat to show off all the muscles you grew in the winter. So, it’s better to start early.Â
- House cleaning
Okay, so yeah, this doesn’t really sound like the ideal thing to do after finals, especially when I just recommended bedrotting. Trust, you can bed-rot and clean your house. If you’re like me, your room probably got neglected because of all the busy work you had to do, and moreover, you probably told yourself “I’ll do it when I have the time.” And guess what, now is the time! It sucks mega, and if the effort seems strenuous, you can see it as fulfilling your past self’s needs. Let’s take the trash out, wash the sheets, wipe down the desk, fold the laundry; and then you can spend the rest of the break shedding your skin, shredding your muscles, and bedrotting.Â
I know nowadays self care just seems like another term for self indulgence, but goddammit maybe the world would be a better place if we all decided to take a day off and bed-rot. To anyone who had a tough quarter, first off, me too, but also, take the time to be proud of yourself.Â