As we go through and finish off the midterm season, life has gotten very busy. Whether you work as a full-time student, are largely involved in extracurriculars, or have an outside job, chances are there’s a lot going on. I’ve seen a lot of suggestions, whether it be on social media or from those in my day-to-day life, that highlight the importance of taking some time to yourself.
Being busy obviously makes it more difficult to do this, something that remains hugely inconvenient considering it is usually during these times that we need relaxation the most. I’ve realized that with classes, homework and almost back-to-back shifts, taking large gaps out of my day for the sake of mental health is almost impossible. Right now, as important as I know it is to make sure I’m on top of self-care, I simply don’t have the time to spend a while on it.
The good news is that if you’re in a similar position, you don’t really need to. Decompression is obviously different for everybody, but I would say that as long as I take consistent time out of my schedule to give myself a little respite, those respites don’t necessarily have to be very long. I would definitely prefer that they be, but sometimes life gets in the way of that. Here are just a couple of simple and small things I do during the week to chill during times of academic and emotional distress.
- Watch a tv episode
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Now this one, like many other options, takes a small amount of self-control on your part. However, I used to scroll through youtube and Tiktok in my free time, and as much as those videos are much shorter, it is also much easier to endlessly scroll through content while accomplishing next to nothing.
The level of self-control it takes to click away after a TV episode has ended is much less than the self-realization that you’ve been flicking through 30-second comedy sketches for the past two hours while you were supposed to be writing a literature review. Netflix will often help this with a “are you still watching” text bubble that has always come off as impressively judgmental coming from a very much not alive streaming service.
So, even if committing to an hour-length program to decompress might seem like too large a chunk of time considering what you have to get done, it will most likely benefit you and your screentime in the long run.
- Sleep
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Truly, this one is simple enough that it should barely be on this list. The thing is, power naps can really be the restart and refresh that you may need. However, this is also a dangerous option, as taking a nap has the potential to turn into an uninterrupted full night (or full days) sleep. Personally, I set an almost ridiculous number of alarms and hope for the best.
Usually, even if I don’t feel exactly satisfied after I wake up, I’ve regained a small amount of necessary energy to power through the rest of my day. According to Healthline, the ideal nap is 10-20 minutes so that you get some rest while not having time to slip into a sleep cycle. Considering how many times I usually hit “snooze” on my alarms, mine always end up much closer to 20.
- Journey in search of snacks
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This is one of my go-to’s when I’m really struggling to get things done throughout the day. I enjoy both walking and eating, so pairing them truly manages to bring me great joy. The thing about this activity is that if you’re really procrastinating or trying to avoid doing something, “going on a walk” can turn into a several-hour-long process.
So, if you have a set destination in mind and return immediately after, this removes that risk completely. You can snag anything you’d like, really, but I almost always go after snacks or some overpriced and unnecessarily (but very necessarily delicious) coffee drink.
- Go socialize
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If you’re like me, you can only actually do homework if you’re by yourself. Unfortunately, this means my productivity levels tend to rely on how much I avoid people throughout the day, something that isn’t necessarily good for my mental health. And so, even if it feels you should simply sit and continue to panic work you’re way through that essay or put more effort into studying for that exam, making sure to take breaks to interact with those around you is of utmost importance.
It not only gives you a much-needed brain break but also serves as a reminder that there is more to the world than what you have to do. There are people that exist and wish to see you as well. Bonus points if you actually like the person you happen to spend time with.
- Paint your nails
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This is something that can be done mindlessly while still forcing you to work your energy and eyesight, serving as a distraction from whatever it is you’re supposed to be focusing on. You get the absolutely thrilling opportunity to select a favored color out of whatever options you have on hand (pun intended), as well as the painstaking process of painting each individual finger.
In the end, you will be able to return to your work with a freshly painted and brightly colored (or not brightly colored, depending on your aesthetic) set of nails. If nothing else, maybe the medicinal smell of acetone will manage to wake you up. These nails below are also not necessarily what I’m suggesting, as they would most likely take a hell of a lot longer than this “small decompression” list should allow.
Overall, I doubt that these small suggestions are all that helpful. If anything, I just wanted them to serve as little reminders that not only should you be taking breaks, but you deserve to. Once again, they don’t need to be big things or day trips (as lovely as that would be), but these are just some things that I tend to do often, and thus far, they’ve kept me displeased at work but generally pretty pleased with overall life.