Student Blog: Fighting the Holiday Blues

There is this meme that goes around every year during this time that says “going to school in between thanksgiving and christmas break feels like the last lap in mario kart where the music is all fast and gets really stressful” and I’ve never related to something more. Coming back to school after being home for Thanksgiving break is always a struggle for me. I get used to being back at home and my house is all cozy and decorated for Christmas and I get to sleep and it makes me not want to come back to school to do finals. I’m always so sleepy and the drive back to school is so long. Granted, I’m excited to be back with my friends and see them, but I always feel like around this time every year, I run out of steam and I hit a wall. Plus assignments start piling up and getting more intense, and vocal juries are coming up and all my performance finals and all I want to do is be all cozy in my jammies and watch movies all day and not move. My motivation always drains and I know I’m not the only college kid who feels that way. I don’t know how to fix it. I don’t know how to gain more energy besides coffee and alani energy drinks. But I do know how to make it a bit better and easier to get through. Even enjoyable to get through. And you all know that I love my lists, so below is just a few things I like to do that helps me power through this intense last lap of mario kart.

Taking breaks and time for myself

I know I’ve mentioned this before, I always tell myself that I have to get everything done right here and right now. That I have oh so much to do and I must accomplish everything on my to do list today and I feel guilty for sitting on the couch and not doing anything. But in reality: I shouldn’t feel guilty for that. My body needs rest. It needs time to rest and build back some strength. So I love laying on the couch with my friends and watching a movie or talking or sleeping. Sleeping is also wonderful and valid. The to do list can wait. It will all get done when it is supposed to get done. Everything always works out.

Doing holiday things that make me happy

I love Christmas. I love the holidays. Everything is pretty and festive and I love lights. So, something that helps is decorating my room or dorm for Christmas. I just put up all of my Christmas decorations in my room and having a space that is my own and that brings me joy is automatically going to help me feel better about inhabiting it. Watching Christmas movies with my roommates, drinking hot chocolate, and eating baked goods also has been a big plus for me. I think two days after halloween we all go together and did this and it made me feel more at home and relaxed. My school is also putting on a lot of holiday themed events such as holiplay-a night of student written one-acts all surrounding the holidays, a holiday themed improv show, and superlative night, hosted by Alpha Psi Omega which I’m on the exec board for, where we had out silly little awards for “best *insert superlative here*” or “Most likely to..” etc. and everyone wears PJ’s and we eat snacks and it’s great. Little silly holiday things like that always make me feel better and fill my cup up a little bit.

Calling my family and friends from home and making plans with them for winter break. 

Coming back to school after thanksgiving is hard and I already miss my family and friends, so calling them every once in awhile and hearing their voices always makes me feel better as well. Also, going ahead and making plans to get together with those people helps tremendously as well. It gives me something to look forward to and plan for.

Remembering why I am here and how amazing that is.

A habit that I'm trying to break is complaining. I hate complaining yet I catch myself doing it all the time. I complain about my assignments, or having to drive home and back to school again and I seem to forget how blessed I am to be doing what I am doing. I am at college for theater. I get to perform and do so many cool things here. I also have great friends who I could never express how truly grateful I am for all of them. I have made a home here and I get to do everything I dreamed of doing as a little kid. As a kid, I would pray to God and beg Him that some day I’d get to go to school for theatre and do things I actually enjoy, and I’m happy to say that I do. It is so easy to forget how cool what I’m doing is. Like I get to sing and dance for my tests-for my final grades. That’s insane to me. Taking a step back and remembering how cool it is that I’m at school getting to go after what I want never fails to put things in perspective for me.

These are just a few things that help me out this time of year. We are almost there! We are so close! We can do it! Just a little bit longer. I hope you all have a very happy holidays and as always, go do great things!