The trees I can view from my bed at home, taken while I was attempting to work on job applications. (Credit: Julia Sherman)
It’s 5:27 PM. Maybe your last class has just ended, or you’ve just turned in your last final. Your flight, train, bus, or subway is fast approaching, and you can’t wait to get back home so the rest and relaxation can finally begin. After throwing whatever you need in your trusty carry-on and sprinting to Broadway and 116th, break has finally begun. Put your headphones on, turn up your music, and you’re almost home.
For many Columbia students, we’d love for this to be the end of the anxiety. To get our five-day or five-week break from the hustle and bustle of college life in New York City and settle down at home (or wherever you spend your breaks). However, often, there’s a voice at the back of your head claiming there’s more to be done. Classes to prepare for, personal projects to work on, jobs or internships demanding applications. I’m not advocating for listening to that voice, and I often practice a zero-work break, but there are a few things to do that will quell the anxiety to have the best (and most productive, in whatever sense you want) break possible.
First, make a list of goals. Lists tend to quell all types of worries, whether related to personal matters, career, or schoolwork. My lists work best when they include goals like spending time with family and personal tasks. When I’m home for break, I try to cook for my family at least three times a week, and that always goes on my list. Even if spending time with loved ones doesn’t feel like the most productive thing in the world, it will feel great when you can check it off that Notion to-do list. Adding specific goals also helps, defining precisely what you will need to do for a fulfilling time away from school. Making a list and writing down what you need to get done is half the battle — concretizing your goals, and the rest will come.
Next, read a book. I know this may not seem like the logical first step to break, but I promise it’s really one of the best things you can do. Preferably a book for pleasure, but if you’re just dying to get back to your CC readings, Rousseau will do as well. Reading is quite possibly the most productive task you can do while not feeling like you’re doing work. Whether a trashy romance novel, mind-bending science fiction, an esoteric novel, or a niche work of non-fiction, it will give your brain a reset for the coming days.
Plan out your days, but not as intensely as you might do at school. I find that roughly figuring out which weeks (or days), of break you’re going to work, relax, or spend time with your friends and family helps to stave off constant boredom and bed-rotting. I’m not saying you need to treat your Google Calendar like a Bible, but planning always makes you feel like there’s time to do everything you need to do. For example, over winter break, I always spend through December celebrating the holidays, seeing friends and family, and relaxing. Work will come in the new year, and my calendar holds me to that.
Find a quiet spot in your home or hometown to work. Whether that’s a chair in your living room, the public library you wish you used more in high school, or a local coffee shop where you’ll see way too many people you know, there’s always somewhere to go. Like at college, lines are so easily blurred between workspaces and playspaces, and putting some distance between the two at home always helps. That way, once you’re in that chair or in that coffee shop, you know its work time and it’s easier to separate things in your mind.
Last, take it day by day and don’t be afraid to switch your plans. I know I’ve preached all about ordering yourself and making a plan, but it is break after all. In truth, you probably won’t get as much work done as you expected, and it’s alright to just accept that from the beginning. Make time for what is important to you, both at school and at home. It’s okay to only code half as much as you thought you were going to because your parents wanted to watch a longer movie, or your high school friend group reunion ran long. It’s better to focus on being prepared to return physically and mentally, rather than just academically.