Winter break always feels like it’s going to be months long, but all of a sudden your Netflix binging and home cooked meals come to an end. If you’re like me and are from out of state, you find yourself squeezed into a seat on a plane in your winter coat and boots because they take up too much room in your suitcase. You are walking back into the room you left vacant for weeks, trying to remember where you left everything. These all seem like pretty simple tasks, right? You may feel sadness and longing for home, something that you got so used to being there for such a long period of time.
I’m here to tell you that it’s okay to feel this homesickness! It by no means makes you a baby, or a loser. You are allowed to feel a sense of belonging to a place you grew up in. And even though you spend shorter amounts of time there than you did growing up, it is still a part of you. Still, it’s important not to dwell on the anxiety of wanting to be back in the comfort of your home with your dog. You have to put yourself into a routine where you are constantly keeping yourself busy or doing something productive.
1. Start with a to-do list
I’ve discovered this app on my computer called stickies, where it electronically puts sticky notes on your desktop. So every time you open your computer, you are met with your list. Take it one day at a time— create a daily list with 2 or 3 personal things, followed by your assignments from classes. Take extra satisfaction in the option to cross out each item once you’ve finished.
2. Keep moving
On top of keeping yourself on track academically, getting yourself back into a physical exercise routine will also help. If your school is anything like mine, you know that there are not many healthy food options, so to balance it out, a physical routine helps. Carve out a day or two each week to take yourself to the gym and push yourself.
3. Set a bedtime for yourself
Though everyone’s class schedules differ each day, try and keep a standard bed time during the week. Over break, we tend to go to bed at all hours because we keep clicking “next episode” on Netflix. On top of this bed time, try and unplug from any devices a half hour before you decide to go to bed so that you can naturally get yourself into sleep mode. This will ensure that you fall asleep easier.
4. Stay hydrated
Water is such an important nutrient that we are so prone to forget about. In college we are concerned with staying awake and caffeinated, so we stick to coffee and Red Bull. You can make hydration fun by catching onto the trend of S’well bottles. They have the added bonus of keeping your water cold for you!
5. Take time for yourself
You’ve been away from all your friends for a month, but that doesn’t mean you have to be going out every weekend. Take a Friday night for yourself every now and again to watch a funny movie or read a book. Yes, college is supposed to be the best four years of our lives, but that doesn’t mean those best times have to come from partying.