Now that we’re back on campus after spring break, it’s official: we have PBD—post-break depression. We’ve come from lounging on the beach, bathing in Costa Rica’s warm sun and are now braving NYC’s warmish-but-not-warm-enough early spring weather. We went from indulging the magnificent laziness that comes with free time to slogging through piles of textbooks in Butler. We had a bit of the sweet taste of summer, a much-needed treat, but now we want more. Surely we can all agree that a week wasn’t long enough to satisfy all our cravings for sun, downtime with family and friends, traveling, and the oh so lovely beach.
Unfortunately, it’s time to get back to our daily grind of waking up at 8:35 for our 8:40 class and running back and forth from Hamilton to NoCo. It’s okay, ladies; HC Columbia feels your pain.
We have less than 8 weeks until we can feel the heat of the sun on our bikini bodies. So what’s a girl to do to get her through these stressful 8 weeks before summer?
Get organized in preparation for the mass of final exams and papers coming our way. Remember that fun is a thing that actually exists. And, our fave, relax.
Here are a couple of suggestions to make it through the last quarter of the year and break free of PBD:
Funday Mondays
Get out of your sweats and put on an outfit you actually took more than two minutes to plan. It’ll spice up your day a bit and you’ll have dragged yourself somewhat out of that groggy Monday feeling. Grab your favorite caramel-and-whipped cream laden Starbucks beverage before you leave for class and indulge in a yummy midafternoon snack. Forget the calories; you’ll burn them off running to Havemeyer.
Treat Yourself Thursdays (or Wednesdays)
Find a day in the middle of the week like Wednesday or Thursday and treat yourself to something you like to do. Read a book for pleasure, rewatch your favorite movie, grab a bubble tea and watch reruns of Friends. Whatever you do, make sure to enjoy yourself and not do work.
On Fridays We Party
Go out on Friday or Saturday… or both nights, if you think you have the time. Turn up! If you’re not up for a party, go see a movie or go shopping. Dancing can be fun too. Just let loose a bit and forget about the stress of the twelve page essay due next week. You’ll never remember the nights you spend in Butler doing your Lit Hum or CC reading, but you’re bound to remember the people you had a good time with. Get out of your comfort zone and live a bit.
Squats, Squats, Squats
Get some exercise. Make time to go to Dodge a few times a week. Exercise does wonders for your mood, and let’s not forget that it has awesome effects on your bod too. Running on the treadmill for 30 minutes will get endorphins flowing and you’ll be on a natural high for a few hours.
Stress-free Sundays
Disperse your work throughout the week so you’re not bogged down on Sundays. Use Sundays to catch your breath from your eventful Friday/Saturday night and prepare for the week ahead. As I like to say, Sundays determine how well your week goes. Try just leaving a small amount of busy work for Sundays, so it’s stress-free and relaxing. Go to bed before midnight and you’ll thank yourself when you wake up on Monday morning.
Summer is coming! Try some of our suggestions to complete the semester with ease.