For as long as I can remember, Christmas has been my favorite time of the year. The glow of Christmas lights and the sweet company of family and friends make me feel so warm inside, despite it being the coldest time of year. Last year when I was on a gap year in Colorado, the only thing I had requested of my boss was that I have time off to go home for Christmas. I was granted three days off of work and was ecstatic. I built my hopes for Christmas up incredibly high and let the merry season take full control over me. When I made it home on December 23rd, the first thing I did was take a covid test because I was going to be going to parties with immunocompromised family members. With a stroke of really bad luck, my test was positive. In the span of fifteen minutes, every Christmas party was canceled, none of my sisters were talking to me, and Christmas was ruined. I had set absurdly high expectations for Christmas and was banished to my room for ten days. However, with a lot of trial and error, I managed to still keep my spirits high. This holiday season I am using some of the same tactics I used last year, but this time in order to stay festive during finals. Here is my guide to keeping cheery through a tough time.
1. Decor
Festive decor is the easiest way to keep cheery. The first thing my roommate and I did when we got back from Thanksgiving break was go to the dollar store and stock up on some decor. When everything is $1, it’s pretty easy to go overboard. One of my favorite decor hacks is wrapping paper, it’s so cheap and you can literally wrap anything. Every single bare area in my room has now been wrapped. I also think that warm lighting is a key way to get into the holiday spirit. A few command hooks and a string of lights can transform a dorm room into a cozy little sanctuary. Knowing I can go back to my warm room and cuddle into my sheets makes any bad day remarkably better.
2. christmas content
Whether it be music, tv show episodes, or movies, Christmas content is another great way to get in the Christmas spirit. Anything with a light plot line and cheery soundtrack is a great way to distract yourself from finals. One that I have been meaning to watch with my roommate is the 2018 version of The Grinch. Others on my watch list include Love Actually, Charlie Brown, Christmas with the Kranks, and Home Alone. I try to put at least two nights aside a week where I force myself to put down my work and cuddle up with a movie. I also like to listen to Christmas music on some of my walks to class so I can get into a bright mindset before I start my day.
3. taking care of your mental health
Although this isn’t something that directly has to do with Christmas, it is essential in order to make it through finals with a good attitude. Lately it has been super hard to take care of my mental health on top of everything else. One thing that I have tried to infiltrate into my daily schedule is meditation. Even if I can only fit in a 5 minute spotify guided meditation, my head always feels so much clearer afterwards and I feel like I can attack my tasks. I like to pair meditation with some journaling because I can get everything out on paper and expel it from my mind and then meditate for a little bit to seal the deal. This is something that is so important all times of year but especially in finals season in order to keep a festive mindset.
4. faking fun
This one might seem a bit silly, but it can go a long way. Everyday I like to fake a little bit of fun. This is especially important during finals, which are not a lot of fun. One way to do this is laughter. The body does not know the difference between real laughter and fake laughter. And usually when you start with fake laughter you can end up with real laughter. So everyday I try to spend one minute staring myself down in the mirror and fake laughing. Some days it really works, and I end up in a laughing fit, other days I end up just looking a bit silly, but it always improves my mood. Another way to fake fun is to have a dance party, which will always improve my mood. When I am alone in my room I try to put on some of my favorite old throwbacks and just start dancing. Its a good way to get the blood pumping and forget about finals.