I, like a lot of students at this school, always feel an intense pressure to be doing something. Whether that’s attending an org meeting, scouring over internship listings, or even just finishing homework, I always feel this need to keep pressing forward, working for the goals that seem so far into the future.
During winter break, I abandon that urge completely.
Summer break is a different story. During the four torturously hot months, there is every pressure to get a job, go abroad, enroll in more classes, or secure the perfect internship, and why wouldn’t there be? Four months is too long to be stagnant, and for many, the summers between semesters serve as the perfect trial run for adulthood.
But while summer is an opportunity, winter break is permission.
Do what you want. Restore the energy that school (no matter how much you might love it) slowly seeps out of you.
Now, I’m not telling you to lounge on the couch scrolling on your phone for a month straight (although, if that’s what you want to do, I’m not going to stop you). Winter break simply provides a rare opportunity to do all the things you never have time to do during the year.
Take multiple naps. Renew your old hobbies. Pick up new hobbies. Catch up with high school friends you haven’t seen in a while. Talk to your parents and siblings, and grandparents. Go on an incredibly long walk.
“Doing nothing” doesn’t have to mean being stagnant. For some, catching up on all the TV shows they missed during the semester is the best way to recharge. For others, hanging out with old friends or finally attempting to bake sourdough is the way to go.
Working hard is great, but it’s not always sustainable. Everyone at this school is human. We all need time to recharge, to stop hustling from one activity to the next, and finally just take a moment to breathe.
Doing nothing is not always laziness. Sometimes it’s the healthiest thing you can do.
Of course, if the thought of being unproductive for any longer than a week terrifies you, then by all means start planning out your classes, do research, or take on some extra shifts at work. I am in no place to judge you for being productive.
But, if you’re like me, and you know that in order to be successful for the semester to come, you need to take the entire month off, watch all the movies that you told yourself you would go see in theaters, finally try out that new recipe, and sleep in until 11 every day — just know you won’t be alone.