Halloweekend gave us the first taste of the holiday season, and Thanksgiving break is upon us. Hanukkah, Christmas, New Year's — a month of celebration and rest is practically here. It is undeniable that many of us are experiencing stress, loneliness and confusion surrounding winter break, whether we realize it or not.
We still have work to do and preparations to make before we “relax” on winter break.
Self-care, comparison, grief, personal progress, tradition, relationship dynamics, societal pressure and loneliness swirl around in our minds like a fierce winter blizzard.
Experiencing Christmas break as a recharge and reset requires us to recognize our place as individuals, our role with others and our possibility in the future. Maintaining proper presence in each of these domains is vital.
Maybe Oct. 31 wasn’t the rager you thought it would be. Maybe you’ve been frantically searching for people to hang out with and post about by the end of the semester. Maybe you feel like you have nothing to do besides homework and laundry. Maybe your greatest stressor is making sure you don’t appear like a loser by the end of this year.
Chase Chaplain, the coordinator of Outreach and Peer Education for Health Promotion and Wellness Services, offers insight about this sometimes subconscious comparison game we play.
“A big part about what we believe is doing what’s best for you," Chaplain said. "For some people, that’s not going out and spending a lot of time around large groups and stuff like that.”
It’s okay to stay in by yourself, or with a small group of people or with large groups of people.
Social media culture can make us feel like we’re missing the mark when we don’t match everyone else. “Fun” has many definitions, and comparison can kill our contentment. As long as you’re mindful of self-care and social wellness, do what is most fun and restful for you.
Ask yourself, “What do I need most right now?”
Be conscious of your wants and needs as the current semester comes to a close, and make sure to do things you enjoy once the break is here. If you have other responsibilities, set healthy boundaries to ensure you get actual rest.
Being intentional provides most solutions if you’re worried about relationships going into, and existing over, the break. Don’t underestimate the value of clarifying conversations, handmade gifts or small blocks of time to let someone know they’re appreciated. This applies to both college and hometown friends. Chaplain advises us to continue reaching out and maintaining those relationships, much like how we did through the pandemic.
The pandemic perpetually takes up space in our minds. Still, we can use it as a marker of progress and hope. Everyone has grown tremendously since its start. Take time to reflect on this personal growth. Being in this headspace is important over the break because we need to process everything that happened this semester.
New Year's resolutions, in this sense, can actually be helpful if we make them general enough. Try defining simple ways to get out of your routine like talking to someone new, sitting in a different place or attending an interesting on-campus event. It can also be worthwhile to set broad goals that involve things you're passionate about.
“All students need to know that they’re doing a great job,” Chaplain said. "No matter what their grades are…[you all] are here and showing up. You’re still fighting on and making an effort, and you’re doing that for a reason. That’s what’s most important.”
Remember to rest over this break and make it meaningful. Make memories. Treat yourself and others with respect and love. Look back with admiration to see how far you’ve come. Look forward with expectation to all that you will continue to accomplish.
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Sami Grace Donnelly, junior in English literature, began writing for the Plainsman in the Fall of 2021. She has served as a columnist, the Opinion Editor and is now a writer abroad during her exchange program in Spain.
