As soon as winter break begins, the pressure to “make it count” creeps in. Instead of truly resting, we’re expected to update our resumes, apply for internships, get ahead on next semester’s work, or map out New Year’s resolutions that will “transform” us.
Suddenly, a break that should feel like relief starts to feel like another deadline. But winter break doesn’t need to be another productivity test. It can, and should, just be a break.
For Gen Z, our breaks aren’t truly seen as breaks; they are expected to be productive. Hustle culture has infiltrated everything from the way we spend our weekends to how we view our self-worth.
Using our achievements as a benchmark of value is not only unsustainable, it is exhausting.
We live in a world where doing “nothing” is treated as a failure. Being still feels uncomfortable, and at times, can feel shameful. But nobody tells us enough, here’s the truth: your value isn’t tied to your output.
You don’t need a strict morning routine, a side project, or a perfectly curated plan for the new year to be enough. You don’t have to prove that your time off was “useful and productive”.
Rest doesn’t make you lazy and worthless. It makes you human.
The mindset of equating productivity with self-worth is a symptom of a culture that glorifies burnout. We applaud overwork. We glamorize the grind. And when we finally collapse under the weight of it all, we call it a learning experience.
But Gen Z is starting to push back. The rise of “bed rotting”, TikToks, and boundary-setting trends like “quiet quitting” aren’t signs that we’re slacking; they are signs that we’re healing. The trend of “quiet quitting” can be seen in the workplace or even in friendships.
We’re redefining success to include joy, slowness, and being okay with just living life.
Honestly, I can relate to this epidemic of constant work with no rest. I understand that I am so young; however, I always feel like I’m losing time and falling behind.
It doesn’t help that I constantly compare myself to others, especially on other platforms such as LinkedIn, where I see someone my age or younger achieving more than me.
As someone who once filled every break with a new task, I used to think slowing down meant falling behind. But when I finally let myself rest (and I mean truly rest), I realized how much of my identity was built around proving I was “productive enough” to deserve space, and I was tying down my worth to how much I’ve done.
I don’t want to live like that, and I know I’m not alone with this feeling.
So if this winter break, you sleep in, do something that others may find boring, and hang out with people who make you laugh, that’s enough. Rest isn’t the opposite of success; it’s absolutely necessary and should be taken when you need it.
What are some of your strategies for self-care? Let us know @HerCampusSJSU!