We made it! All the countless essays and tests, hours at work, sports practices, and a serious lack of sleep are done and it is time to kick back and relax for three weeks. Whether you are headed home for the holidays, staying in Santa Barbara or traveling the world, this is the perfect time to take care of yourself physically and mentally.
Detoxing does not have to consist of the latest juice cleanse. In fact, each of us experience toxins in different ways. We can all use break as a time to regain our strength against whatever is adding unnecessary weight to our lives.
Here’s a few way to detox this winter:
Turn off your cell phone and put away your computer. Wait what? There’s no way I could do that! Yes, you can! Try and pick one day to turn them off completely or maybe turn them off for one hour everyday. Once all your grades are posted on GOLD and you have sent out a few snapchats with your hometown’s geotag, put the technology down. Break would be a total waste if we spent it glued to our cell phones or laptops. It’s not a bad thing to take time to catch up on your favorite TV shows, but the entire three weeks?
Resist the urge to eat complete junk. The word “holiday” may be synonymous with food, but use this break from the demands of school to pay attention to the demands of your body. Eat more veggies, go meatless, say no to that second piece of pie… If you’re extra lucky and your parents are paying for groceries during break then add some foods to their list that you would never buy normally.
Put in the effort to spend time with friends and family. Whether that be in person, via skype, or with a phone call. We finally have time to call grandma back and to get coffee with our high school best friends so utilize it! It is so refreshing to reconnect with those we love.
Cut the caffeine and go to bed early. Finals are done woohoo! Ten weeks of hard work can really drain us so feel free to catch up on some sleep this break. It is also a great excuse to remind ourselves that we don’t have to be entirely dependent on coffee to make it through the day.
Have a great break, Gauchos!