!!! Content Warning: Article discusses mental health briefly. !!!
April 2021 is coming up soon and along with being a beacon of hope that summer is coming and classes are ending, it is also a month full of awareness and learning.
From holidayinsights.com and my own knowledge surrounding the buzz in East Lansing & MSU, let’s hope you can plan for a month full of action!
Workplace Comedies: Like the offices of Dunder-Mifflin and Parks & Recreation’s April Ludgate, these holidays can leave you feeling cringey, shocked, and happy all at the same time. Wondering whether what you just experienced is real or not, now that’s a real question since the pandemic has locked many people out of the workplace and others unable to shake hands.
-
April Fool’s Day & International Fun At Work Day – April 1st: I think it is clear what pranksters are intending to pull.
-
Don’t Go to Work Unless it’s Fun Day – April 3rd: Seems risky but if you want to make a statement … of course, you would need to send a card or email to your boss to explain about this holiday because it is probably not the most practiced.
-
Hug A Newsman Day – April 4th: Antiquated to say the least, this holiday would now be called “Hug A Newsperson Day”– but please don’t hug them! Unless you’re in the same ‘quarantine bubble,’ it is best just to donate money to your local news organization as a way of thanks.
-
A similar event is held on April 18th, “Newspaper Columnists Day” which celebrates those who write human interest stories, opinions, sports, comic strips, and the like.
-
No Housework Day – April 7th: Another dream that sounds like an impossibility that someone will wake me up from.
-
International Be Kind to Lawyers Day & Ex-Spouse Day – April 14th: If your ex-spouse is a lawyer or former lawyer then you’re doing double today. Try not to be too harsh, remember you have every other day of the year to point out why passing a bar exam isn’t an excuse for everything else in their life.
-
!!! INCOME TAXES ARE DUE !!! & Rubber Eraser Day – April 15th: Make sure your federal, state, and city income tax files are in, preferably BEFORE this date. The rubber eraser is also an office item so it fits, yes? You’ll be needing it if you wrote your taxes in pencil rather than ink.
Lastly, April 20th is “Volunteer Recognition Day” and April 21st is “Administrative Professionals Day” for 2021. While many of these days already celebrate relaxing and having fun for certain professions, make sure that you also keep in mind that April is also Stress Awareness Month. College classes are ending for the semester. Studying and finishing projects may be the only thing on your mind right now. Make sure to access either relaxation rooms, funny videos, or the lovely sounds of strange brooks running throughout your living space to keep calm in preparation for those moments of stress and anxiety.
Access to psychologists is nothing to be ashamed of. At Michigan State, there are FREE services provided by CAPS (caps.msu.edu), a.k.a Counseling & Psychiatric Services. Please go and meet with someone if you are in need of someone to talk to, even if it is just to complain about how your life is as stifling as one of those workplace comedies you see on TV.