Spring break is something that most, if not all, college students look forward to. It’s a period in the early parts of the semester that typically allows students to make elaborate vacation plans, usually to a sunny place like Miami or an international trip to a tropical island. Although people are still traveling during the ongoing pandemic if you choose to stay home and forgo the “traditional” spring break this year, a stay-at-home mental health break would be a great alternative. While it’s not cocktails, mocktails, or plain old fun in the sun, a mental health break can be just as important as flying out to your destination vacation.
School can be exhausting even without the trials and tribulations of COVID-19, it’s normal to experience burnout as the semester continues and midterms are around the corner. This is why it’s important to take breaks. One 3-day weekend once or twice a semester is not enough so that’s why utilizing spring break for your mental health is a good opportunity to destress.
Spring Cleaning
Declutter your space. A messy room could be the product of a messy mind. Find some time to take care of your space. We often get distracted during the semester trying to juggle things like work and school or whatever else we have going on, spaces become cluttered and this can disrupt our peace. Your living space is a sacred/safe place for you to be stress-free and cleaning this space will improve your quality of living; spring cleaning is not just physical, but mental too.
Social Media Detox
I recently tried to break free from my social media attachment (tried and failed), and maybe you can be more successful with taking a break from the internet. In this day and age, everything is virtual and without social media, it’s hard to keep up with what is happening in the world, but the overconsumption of bad news can be triggering. A social media detox is a perfect way to take a break from all the negatives in the world right now. Focus on you, and not what everyone else is doing online. It might get boring and that’s even more of a reason to detox; finding something you love to do that isn’t on your phone is necessary for a healthy balance. Spend some time getting to know yourself without all the pressures of the media and you might find a new friend in yourself. I will most definitely be spending my spring break away from my phone and enjoying my favorite hobbies.
Stress-Free and Resting
College is stressful, but once midterms are over you’ll finally get a chance to rest again. It feels like there’s always a due date or a test to be taken and like we’re constantly doing something with no downtime. Spring break is a time for you to rest, the relaxation we’ve desperately needed can be found during this one to a two-week vacation. This spring break is not the time to even think about whatever stresses you, instead, you should try figuring out how to live stress-free daily rather than waiting for a break to recenter yourself.
Whether you’re going on a trip or staying home this spring break considering your mental health should be a top priority. Hopefully, the break is as stress-free and calming as possible for everyone in school this semester. Take time to do what’s best for your mental health, enjoy the positive thing in life, and have a great spring break because you deserve it!