As classes are finishing up and people are getting done with their midterms, many students are getting ready for Spring Break. While many will be going home or on a trip to spend time with friends and family, there is no shortage of students who stay in Moscow during the break and might feel bored or left out. While it may be tempting to lock yourself up and stay on your phone all day, there are a variety of things you can do to make your break count while staying here.
One of the best ways you can have some fun and take care of yourself over break is by having a staycation. Go downtown, grab a coffee and a meal from your favorite local place and spend the day relaxing, resting and taking care of yourself. Whether that be through having a self-made spa day or watching a show you need to catch up on. After putting in a lot of work for the first half of the spring semester, it is essential to set aside some time for yourself. If nothing else, make sure to get some good sleep and eat some healthier meals.
You can also pick up a new hobby with all the time you have. As reported by Heidi Godman on the Harvard Health Letter, “Compared with people who didn’t have hobbies, those who did reported better health, more happiness, fewer symptoms of depression and higher life satisfaction.” Hobbies promote creativity, help you socialize with like-minded people and allow for an escape from the strains of everyday life. Not to mention, there are hundreds you can choose from to fit your passions and goals for yourself.
School and work can take a lot of time away from your connections with people, so catching up with friends is an absolute must for the break. If they are also in town, you can invite them out and have a day together. If your friends are farther away, take a minute to give them a call and check in with them. Keeping those connections with people is incredibly important to your overall wellbeing and relationships with the people you care about.
Participating in the local community can also help build connections to the people and places in town. Although there are not many events happening this week, you can always visit downtown and look around at all the local businesses. If you’re feeling more outdoorsy, you can take a walk through the UI’s Arboretum or go up to Moscow Mountain to hike for the day.
Even if it’s not taking a break, catching up and getting ahead with schoolwork might be a great option for you. If you have a large credit load or tend to get overwhelmed during the semester, getting ahead of assignments or projects can lighten your load when school starts back up again. This can make it easier to complete future assignments and prevent burnout for the rest of the school year.
No matter what specific activities you have in mind, the best thing you can do is get out and enjoy the week away from classes.
Hilary Valdez can be reached at arg-life@uidaho.edu.