A proper mental and physical reset can help you maximize your spring semester
With the craziness of a new semester, it’s helpful to use your spring break as an opportunity to reset. Many of us type A, over-committed ladies need a proper reset to finish up the semester as strongly as possible. Mental and physical well-being is so important for the start of your summer jobs, internships and vacations, but also for those around you!
1) Relax
First, take the time to catch up on much-needed sleep. Sleep is essential for powering and recharging the brain, affecting everything you do in life. So, during your week off, catch up on some sleep! Adequate sleep also improves focus and concentration, allowing you to be more productive. The physical benefits of sleep include strengthening your heart, regulating your metabolism, increasing athletic performance and supporting a healthy immune system. Ultimately, these health benefits contribute to increased happiness!
Conversely, sleep deprivation is associated with depression, mood swings, reduced social-emotional interactions and irritability. The likelihood of experiencing these symptoms can be reduced by taking the time to get adequate sleep and catch up on much-deserved rest. Beyond sleep, other relaxation activities I enjoy are massages, self-care appointments, taking a hot-steamy bath or sauna, and scheduling in time to move my body, even if it’s only a twenty minute yoga flow or a short walk. These activities give your mind a chance to rest from the demands of a busy schedule.
2) Reorganize
If you’re going home for spring break and have to pack, tidy up your space before you leave. Fully cleaning your space involves parting with anything that no longer serves you. For example, winter coats and clothing could be taken home and exchanged for more seasonal pieces. Other ways to refresh your space include cleaning outdoor grime off your shoes, reorganizing your toiletries, clearing out your fridge and pantry areas, and getting rid of clutter. The main idea here is to create a space that you can come back to recharged and feeling calm, organized and productive.
Having functioning, clean work and living spaces improves efficiency, boosts confidence, limits distractions, and is refreshing. We all know the phrase, “less clutter, less stress.” College is a great time to practice being surrounded by less clutter, which promotes focus on the things that are really meaningful to you. Taking a few hours to reorganize your physical surroundings sets you up for success during the home stretch of classes.
3) Reset
Lastly, take sufficient time to reset. Resetting your mind and visualizing coherent plans for yourself helps increase motivation and productivity. This looks different for everyone, but some things to consider are your future intentions, goals and plans. Having a conversation with yourself about what inspires your studies, where you are right now, and where you see yourself in the future will help direct the person you’re becoming. Often we get so swept up in the day-to-day hustle that we forget about our long-term goals. Once I have an idea about something, such as my career path, I like to have conversations with people I trust to solidify my ideas and hold myself accountable. When I vocalize an idea, I feel more driven and reassured it’s something I really want to do and can do.
Ways to reset over spring break include writing down your favorite classes, classes you plan to take in the future, connections that will help you achieve your goals and something different you want to see from yourself. With all of these ideas, jot down a realistic timeline. The best way to reset and improve mental clarity is by taking a second to think about the life you’re living versus the life you want to live, and what changes will help you get there.
Spring is known as a time for spring cleaning, which may look like relaxing your mind and body, organizing your space and life, and resetting your intentions. These are just some of the little things I like to practice during spring and plan to implement over my spring break!