Take a Break, You Deserve It

When I was younger, I would start listening to holiday music, put up decorations and begin counting down the days till Christmas on November 1st. I was the epitome of a kid with holiday spirit. I think that part of me is still there, longing to come out; however, as a university student, things are a little bit different now. Instead of doing all of those things, I countdown the days till my last exam, thinking about all my assignments and papers to do, and how on earth I am going to do it all.

Thinking back to when I had that excitement for the holiday’s made me wonder how I can bring it back. Or, at least a piece of it back. No matter if you do or don’t celebrate anything during the holidays, this time of year can be stressful for students as the dreaded darkness of daylight savings–and exams–takes over our lives. But between all the business, I think we can all make some time to take a break. Truly, the beginning of December used to be filled with anticipation and excitement, but it’s now filled with long hours of studying, procrastinating and stressing about procrastinating. However, this year is going to be different. This year, aside from finals, we can do a little something to make the long, dark days of December a little brighter.

Firstly, I recommend baking something. It doesn’t have to be elaborate, but by taking an hour out of your day, you can procrastinate by baking instead of scrolling on TikTok for hours. Even better, you get a pretty sweet reward for your hard work in the kitchen. After you bake something, you may as well watch a movie. Personally, I prefer holiday movies around this time to distract myself from everything I’m avoiding doing. Some of my favorites include Home Alone, Christmas With The Kranks and The Holiday. If you are feeling like taking a break from your studies and really getting in the Holiday spirit, the town of Antigonish is putting on A Hometown Christmas with events throughout December–check out the schedule below!

All I’m trying to say is, there are ways this December doesn’t have to be as dull as it seems. Despite the dreaded dark days of finals season, you can do something small, like bake some cookies, watch a movie or go and distract yourself from that exam you’ve been dreading. By bringing back that excitement for this season, it makes the finish line for finals appear just a little bit closer. So, take a well-deserved break, you deserve it.