Every year for spring break, students are torn between actually resting or trying to get work done. Many students think they need to buckle down until the summer when they can really allow themselves to have a break. Having restful moments and school being in session shouldn’t be mutually exclusive; we should take restful breaks in the midst of getting work done.
Students have so much going on, including attending classes, working a job, extracurricular activities, clubs, volunteering, networking and trying to plan for their future. In the world of university, it feels like if you don’t run as fast as you can, every opportunity will pass you up and your future will be ruined.
With this mindset, it’s easy to work late into the night. It’s easy to spend Sunday morning working on assignments or picking up an extra shift at work. Sometimes, after a long day, I come home and don’t have the energy to enjoy the hobbies that bring me joy.
Taking periodic breaks is extremely important to prevent burnout and getting overwhelmed. Working all day, every day is exhausting, and students should allow themselves to take a pause and set boundaries between work and their personal lives.
Hitting pause on work and enjoying life doesn’t have to mean taking a week off school and going to the beach like I did for spring break. It can be just an hour of the evening where you let yourself do something you actually like — whether burying yourself in your couch to watch a favorite movie or spending time doing a craft.
I think life has a meaning that is greater than work. I am so passionate about education and my career, but I know that is not my only goal in life. There is so much more going on around us than just assignments and due dates.
Sometimes people overbook themselves in an effort to do everything at once. There are so many opportunities on campus that it is easy to be part of multiple organizations and clubs. In a busy world, taking a break is something people should schedule into their time — writing it in your Google Calendar if that’s what it takes — and that might mean cutting back on a long list of activities they are involved in.
People should schedule downtime for themselves to just do something they enjoy like reading, watching a favorite show, taking a nap or another hobby. In a sense, we need to slow down and smell the roses blooming all around campus as spring rolls in and bright yellow pollen covers everything.
There are so many activities and fun events occurring on campus, such as those hosted by University Activity Board or the community centers in Talley, which may be a fun break for students to go out and enjoy themselves. As spring rolls in and going outside is no longer unbearably cold, laying in the grass or tossing a frisbee might be something rejuvenating to do.
Working endlessly with no breaks cuts having any sort of fun or enjoyment out of life. If all we do is work, then how will we get the rest and energy to work?
We have to rest and refill ourselves before we try to exert ourselves with the assignments we need to turn in and the places we need to be.
If all we do is work, we don’t get any time to live.
