Spring break is coming up and before you know it, we’ll all be packed up to head home or for those lucky few–the spring break of their dreams. And if you’re anything like me, your Instagram and Snapchat feed has been filled with countdowns until Miami or Cancun spring break trips for the past few weeks. If you’re even more like me, the FOMO starts to set in. I’ve always dreamed of having one of those movie spring break vacations but it was never a reality for me. Although disappointing, my spring breaks spent at home have been relaxing and much needed. It’s possible to have an amazing spring break without sitting on a beach, drinking with your friends. Here are my top tips to making the most of your time off and avoiding the FOMO that may set in.
1. Turn off Social Media
The biggest tip I would recommend is to turn off social media. It may seem like a cruel punishment to step away from all connections to the outside world, but when you log out of Instagram and Snapchat, you’re doing yourself a huge favor. On the surface, it may seem absolutely harmless to scroll through your Instagram and Snapchat feeds to see what the world is up to, but it can actually make you feel worse than when you started. Without a doubt, people are going to be posting spring break vacation photos of themselves with their friends and inevitably, you will feel left out- especially if they are your friends. A social media cleanse will not only stop you from becoming envious of their spring break vacations, but it will also give you more time to focus on being productive.
2. Remember Why You Stayed Home
You stayed home for a reason, right? Whether it was because you wanted to save your money or to spend time with your family, there’s more to staying home than just not being on some beach. It sucks to have to stay behind while everyone else is having fun, but think of it this way: imagine how much more you’re accomplishing staying back. You have the money you saved from not going away, you have possibly gotten ahead in schoolwork, you are well-rested, you don’t have to deal with the post-vacation upset of realizing classes start the next day.
3. Plan a Staycation
You may think staying at home is boring but there are ways to remedy that! There are probably things you have yet to experience in your hometown or city. There’s always something new or different to explore, and this is your chance to do so. Whether it is a walk through a park you’ve never been to, a museum that just opened, or a restaurant you’ve been dying to try, this is the perfect opportunity to do so! Be a tourist for a day- pretend you’ve never been to wherever you are and make the most of it.
4. Talk to Someone
You can’t be the only one who didn’t go away for spring break so talk to a friend who is also having a staycation. Even if they aren’t staycationing in the same hometown or city as you, talk to them as I’m sure they’re also sharing your same FOMO. Text, call, or facetime them about anything. If anything, you are curing your and their boredom.
5. There is no “correct” way to do spring break.
Spring break is exactly what it sounds like, a break! You have an entire week or so to do whatever you want. If you want to work extra hours and make some money, do it! If you want to get ahead in school work, do it! If you want to go home and binge watch your favorite tv shows, do it! And if you want to go on your own adventures, do it! Do that thing that you’ve always wanted to do but never had time for. Don’t feel pressure from others to do or not do anything. Do whatever you have to do in order to feel relaxed, refreshed, and ready for the second half of the semester.