As you may know, arguably the worst part of the school year is quickly approaching us. It’s that time of the year with late nights filled with stress and early mornings filled with coffee. If you’re wondering what season this is, you may have guessed, it’s finals season! Finals are a terrible one-week period you have to take all your last exams of the semester. While no one looks forward to finals week, it is nevertheless an exciting time. Because, with finals approaching also comes Summer, which is an actual season to celebrate. Today, we’re going to be diving into important tips to having a fun yet productive break.

My first tip to having a fantastic summer vacation is to first, take that vacation. After working hard for the last few months, we could all use a vacation. So, once you’re done with school, make sure you give yourself the time to truly be on vacation. And your vacation doesn’t mean you need to physically be somewhere else, a vacation can be taken just at home. Regardless of where your vacation takes place what’s more important is that your mind is taking a vacation. A vacation from daily obligations are a refreshing way to gain a new perspective and practice self-reflection. Of course, if you have the means to take that physical vacation, don’t wait, take advantage of the time that you have now. But if you are like me, and currently don’t have the financial luxury to take a five-day trip to Paris, then find somewhere you can take your mind to. For me, that has recently been reading books or watching movies. Sometimes during breaks, I struggle with still thinking about school and things that I need to do when I can’t even do anything about it at the moment. Reading or watching shows/movies help distract my mind from thinking about those obligations.

My second tip may seem obvious, but the tip is to do things that you enjoy, especially the ones you normally don’t have time for. During the year most of us don’t have the time to participate in our hobbies or find new ones to enjoy. During this summer break, make sure you dedicate the time to do those things you enjoy. Whether it’s cooking, gardening, or collecting cards, make sure you keep up with those things that give you joy. The importance of having hobbies is often overlooked. Having a passion is a huge contributor to maintaining a healthy mind and keeping relationships. Something that can take your mind away from the constant stresses of life cannot be emphasized enough. Whatever that may be for you, take the time to immerse yourself in in this break.

Finally, my last tip is to be productive. This is the simplest, yet most challenging tip because it challenges you to produce something. Being productive comes in many shapes and forms but the root word of productivity is to produce. Essentially, being productive means doing something that contributes to your life in a meaningful way. Whether it may be getting a job, an internship, or helping around the house. Find something that you can deem as productive. Something that will contribute to either the betterment of yourself or to society. You can volunteer at your local hospital or start going to the gym. Both are equally productive in their own aspects. Learn a new language or start keeping a journal, you’d be surprised how much you can learn in one summer. Just remember, like anything, consistency is key. Find something productive you can do over the summer, stick to it and see what happens. Have the best summer.

This blog post was written for Healthy Young NV by Dell, a High Sierra AHEC Student Ambassador.

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