Oftentimes, when the middle of a semester comes around, we feel overwhelmed, exhausted and crave a break to reset. For me, this is exactly what happened as soon as mid-March hit, and I was in severe desperation of relaxation and time to reset my routines and regimens. Luckily, spring break couldn’t have come at a better time for me, and I’m assuming for you too. This break gave me time to relax and have fun with my friends, while also understanding the realities of my mental and physical health, and how I could improve both.
Relax.
Sometimes school, extracurricular activities, jobs and more can get in the way of our wellbeing and we get lost in the stress of it all. As important as these things are, and I value them deeply, it is also just as important to take care of ourselves and have time to relax and do things we enjoy in our free time. At school, I sometimes feel guilty taking time to relax and do things for me because I feel like I’m wasting valued time for homework or other priorities, but the truth is, it is so important to spend time doing things you truly love in order to get out of a slump. Whether it is practicing yoga, going out to a yummy meal or getting a facial, anything that caters to your happiness is something that should be extremely prioritized. Spring break was a time where I got to relax on the beach in the Cabo sun, laugh with my friends until my stomach hurt and drank some tasty martinis along the way, and all of these things combined helped me have a reset and understand what makes me truly happy in life. Spending time not stressing about work or school helped me to take a break and feel at ease for a moment. Unfortunately, we cannot escape the reality of working and going to school forever, but having this week-long break to decompress gave me enough time to relax and get ready to get back into the swing of things. Although we don’t get breaks this long all of the time, I think it is so important to take advantage of any time off, even on weekends, and spend time relaxing and doing things you love.
Find inspiration in books.
Whether it is a romance, thriller or self-transformation book, finding inspiration through reading always helps me get out of a funk. Over spring break, I started reading “Good Vibes, Good Life” by Vex King and it is all about loving yourself, manifesting positivity into your life and happiness as a whole. I am only 100 pages in and have already found an ample amount of inspiration from this book. I have learned about the Law of Attraction, manifesting and the power of being positive, and it has changed my mindset in so many ways. The power that books can have on us is truly amazing, and I recommend this book in particular to anyone who feels they are in a slump or are just feeling blue. This book has already given me tools to create a positive mindset and life for myself and going back into the semester I feel that I will be more open and have the chance to experience more opportunities due to this new mindset. Similarly, romance books tend to have a similar effect on me, and I think a good love story is always enough inspiration for single girls to feel hopeful again. Going back into the semester with a fresh mindset and a positive outlook on love and relationships feels very exciting and makes it all worth it. Books about success, friendships, travel or really anything you find interesting is the perfect place to start when you are feeling down, and I really think it can have a positive impact on you, it did on me!
Work on yourself.
For me, when I am in a slump, it often leads to poor habits all around. Whether it is low activity throughout my days, not investing time in my skincare or eating foods that don’t make me feel good, these things start to add up and often make us feel unhealthy. Once I realized this, I took action and started to do things both physically and mentally to make myself feel better. Going to workout classes again started to make me feel better on a physical and mental level, and drinking more water and intaking healthy foods made me happier as a whole. I also started taking time every morning and night to do a good skincare routine and this definitely made me feel better. For my spiritual side, I began meditating every morning and this sets each of my days up so nicely and allows me to feel good from the moment I wake up in the morning. Going back into the semester with these new habits and lifestyle changes is something I am looking forward to, and I think if you are feeling down, it is so important to work on yourself to become a better version of you!
These are just some things that help me through my mid-semester slumps, but there are plenty of other things you can do to get you out of yours. I can almost promise you that if you practice some of these tips, you will feel refreshed and ready to finish out the semester strong. Good luck, bucks!