The In-Between Time: Spending March Meaningfully

The familiar symphony of birds in the mornings, the slight humming of nature coming back to life, outside growing gradually warmer, and the sun setting at 6:00 pm in lieu of 4:00 pm: March has come again! Relief from the dreariest winter months has at last been granted by the transition of seasons, and it is during this time that you deserve the utmost pride. Winter in New England is notoriously difficult- physically and intrinsically; ineludible feelings of listlessness and an overwhelming sense of melancholy seem to take charge. However, you’ve carried yourself this far through all of the preceding seasons, and this is no less of an extraordinary accomplishment. 

Despite having made it through the darkest months, the time between mid-semester and May always seems to be an “in-between” time for students, coupled with pressures of accomplishing goals, maintaining academic and social priorities, and assuring appropriate measures for instating self-care in one’s life are taken. While this can seem overwhelming at its cursory level, there are countless ways to spend the increasingly longer days that feel both fulfilling and productive. In this article, I’ll delve into a few of my favorite measures in order to spend this time in between such substantial events meaningfully. 

New life is vivaciously budding during this time: the snow melts, again revealing the long-missed grass, ducks come quacking back to Lower Lake, flowers again begin to bloom, and the sun feels significantly warmer than it did in December. On this note, it is so very vital that you immerse yourself in this new life around you! Start spending more time outside– especially on the rare but invaluable 60-degree days-, discover new music that induces joy in you, make the conscious effort to go on more spontaneous adventures with your friends; take these actions for yourself as you deserve to experience the associated joys! Self-ritualize the “mundane” tasks: going to class, getting ready in the mornings, doing homework in a sunny study-spot; it is all the more easier to romanticize these everyday aspects of life amidst the reinstation of Spring when everything feels just a bit more whimsical. Spring, especially this transitory period, is the ideal time for reconnecting with old (or discovering new!) passions. Maybe these ideas just didn’t resonate during Winter, or perhaps it has been a notion you’ve been contemplating for quite some time, but regardless, now is the time to tune into your imaginative abilities. Taking the time and special attention to devote yourself to recognizing signs of renewed life- in both nature and in oneself- is a vital component of seizing this time and spending one’s days meaningfully.

Furthermore, the Spring semester tends to feel much more rigorous than the preceding Fall semester. Perhaps this is due to the prolonged tension of continued efforts, the raised stakes for some individuals, or the slight effects of a year-long burnout beginning to manifest. Whatever the reason, it is vital that you prioritize spending your time meaningfully just as you prioritize academics. It is all too easy to get caught up in spending hours in the library, missing a few hangouts because of an abundance of homework, and spending countless late nights finishing that essay you forgot about. While prioritizing academics is an extraordinarily important value to hold, it is just as vital that you don’t lose this time and yourself to the turmoil of midterm and finals season. 

It is possible to prioritize one’s academic priorities while simultaneously celebrating (and honoring) their progress through acts of self-care and taking the appropriate time to relax. Explicitly outlining your goals, intentions, and accomplishments at the beginning of each week greatly aids in supporting productivity and honoring oneself. Further cultivating this sense of honoring oneself is taking daily actions, however slight, to feel good! Painting your nails a fun color, a whimsical-feeling outfit, or even morning affirmations are just a few examples of my favorite ways to practice self-care despite having little free time as a busy student.

After all you’ve undergone and experienced amidst the winter months, you owe this time spent relaxing and reconnecting with yourself to yourself. Time spent “meaningfully” is extremely subjective. In order to spend your days truly meaningfully, do what feels fulfilling to you– take the actions that feel the most attentive and intentional towards yourself. You haven’t carried yourself this far to merely make it to this point; there is so much wonder and imagination coupled to Spring, and it is yours to experience! Continued academic success is so contingent upon the ways in which you treat and care for yourself, and this begins with the mere act of spending each day a bit more meaningfully.

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