We’re living in a real-life Winter Wonderland. Boston has essentially become the North Pole, so don’t be surprised if you see any elves running around Beacon or Boylston Streets. As a seasoned New Englander, I’ll be the first to say that if you live in Boston during the winter, this is to be expected. As much of us have loved the snow days these past few weeks, there are some downsides to the time off from school.
It can be hard to establish a routine when each week your schedule is changing on a day-to-day basis because of the weather. Going to the Plex becomes a sport in and of itself. Don’t plan on getting a workout in on snow days unless you own a good pair of snowshoes. Whoever said you are more productive when you have more time has clearly never experienced a BC snow day.
You think to yourself the night before, if we get a snow day tomorrow I’m going to start my paper due next week, finish my reading for the rest of the week, and maybe even organize my part for the group project. HA! If you’re anything like me then the night before a snow day includes a glass of wine or two, sleeping in the next morning, and cuddling up in bed watching Netflix while it blizzards outside the window.
Weekly changes have taken their toll on the semester this far. Don’t let them interfere with your ability to have the best semester yet. Follow these simple solutions to make the most of your snow days!
1) Try to maintain an established sleep schedule.
It’s very tempting to stay up late the night before a potential snow day watching a movie marathon with your roomies, but this might not be the best idea. The best thing to do for your body and your brain is to go to sleep when your normally do during the school week. Now, this doesn’t mean you can’t watch one movie with your BFFs, but don’t go too crazy off your normal sleep schedule. Staying somewhat on schedule will allow you to wake up on your day off feeling refreshed and renewed and ready to have a great day off from classes!
2) Balance being productive with being, well, unproductive.
There’s no time like having unexpected extra time, am I right? In college, we take every free moment we have to heart. Snow days mean an entire day off from our normal routine when we can devote all 24 hours to whatever we like. My advice is to spend a part of your day getting your work done and the other time just relaxing. It’s not every day that we get a snow day (even though this semester it may seem like it!) so make use of the extra time off.
3) Work out at home
All of the snow on the ground may leave you feeling somewhat buried into your room. With that being said, that does not mean a workout is completely out of the question. In fact, getting your heart rate up while indoors will help you battle the winter blues that everyone has been feeling lately. Whether it’s doing simple conditioning or a workout class on your computer, make sure you get it done! Your body will thank you in the spring.
4) Be prepared!
Watch for Winter Weather Advisories or Blizzard Warnings on the news. It’s always good to stay informed about what Mother Nature is up to. If it looks like another storm is brewing, get the supplies you need early! There’s nothing worse than rushing to CVS or Star Market the night before a blizzard hits. Keep all the essentials in your dorm to make sure you’re stocked up.
Keeping these simple tips in mind will help keep you in-check the next time a blizzard is in the forecast. Let’s all hope Mother Nature is done with the snow for this season. Bring on the tulips!
Photo Sources
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KlULhnUq8hU&noredirect=1
http://www.sacbee.com/news/nation-world/national/article8220915.html
http://iceagenow.info/2015/01/feet-snow-hits-boston/
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/01/28/new-england-blizzard_n_6560382.html
http://variety.com/2013/film/reviews/frozen-review-1200782020/
http://www.iambo.com/blog/archives/2009/01/boston-in-winter-night.html
http://healthblog.dallasnews.com/2013/12/staying-inside-lets-hope-heres-…