Have you ever found yourself aimlessly Facebook stalking your friend’s brother’s distant camp friend from 5th grade and wonder just how you got here? Ever commit the 7th deadly sin of Instagram lurking (aka liking a picture older than approximately 3 days) during hour ten of your interminable Sunday spent with Howie-T? We all procrastinate at some point or another, and hey, breaks are a healthy part of studying!
Here lies my 5 ways to cut back on the random social media creeping and online shopping and actually do something worthwhile with you much-deserved downtime during midterms.
1. Read anything off of Buzzfeed’s “35 books You Need to Read in Your Twenties”
My personal favorites include Wild by Cheryl Strayed and my current read, the intensly-inspiring The Opposite of Loneliness by Marina Keegan.
2. Watch this video, seriously, just watch it.
Brené Brown’s video on the difference between empathy and sympathy will absolutely (and this sounds absurd so stay with me here) make you a better friend and more compassionate human being.
3. Read The Skimm
Let me tell you: it’s embarrassing when you can recount like plot from last night’s Real Housewives like you know Lisa Vanderpump personally but have zero idea about what is actually going on in the world around you.
4. Netfilx responsibly
Press pause on the incessant Bob’s Burgers marathon and stop watching that hilarious episode of Friends you’ve seen at least twelve times and start browsing Netflix’s “documentaries” tab. My personal favorites include: Trophy Kids, Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown and Living On One Dollar.
5. Revert back to childhood
And no that doesn’t mean you can totally quit studying and go home to make a giant pot of mac and cheese. But adult coloring books (like this one!) are an awesome way to de-stress and focus your mind on one task when you feel totally scatterbrained