Start with the most obvious and most annoying thing. Turn your phone off. Log off your social media accounts. Yes. It gets better, I promise. Lock all of your textbooks in a drawer and throw the key into the flames of Mordor (you might want to reconsider this decision, though, because you probably paid a fortune for them and maybe, just maybe, you might need them in the future). For a day only. It’s only 24 hours, you can do it.
Write a postcard for that friend you occasionally reminisce about but never get to talk to because you’re too busy. Put a coat and a scarf on (if your winter break destination is a cold one) or a pair of shorts (if you’re going to warmer places), go out and explore. See where your feet take you and follow whatever your instincts tell you. Do something you’ve never done before – learn to drive, learn to iceskate, learn to make origami swans or even simple paper boats. Go to the local library, go to a random shelf, pick a book and start reading it.
Your eyes aren’t going to fall and your brain isn’t going to melt, trust me. The struggle, the pain you face is in fact just weakness leaving your body. Play less Candy Crush and more hide-and-seek. Talk more to the people you’re with. Observe how they’re finally grown up and are slowly becoming rational human beings (yes, this applies to your parents and older relatives, too). Go to a place you’ve never visited before. That sketchy neighborhood you kept hearing things about? Good, go there. What’s the worst that can happen, especially if you do a bit of research beforehand and take all the necessary precautions? Good. Now you can get your phone and social network accounts back.
Take another 24 hours and spend it with yourself. You’re also a human, remember? Your own person needs his/her own company every once in a while. Take yourself somewhere nice for dinner, go to a forest, go hiking, or just spend the entire day in bed. It’s unhealthy but who cares? It’s holiday season and you have too much time on your hands anyway.
Listen to Chinese rap, Russian underground beats, or odd Nebraska country. Go out and look at the stars or enjoy watching the light pollution in your area. Watch a play or a football game. Try making eye contact with a stranger (preferably not in the sketchiest area of your town, though.
For your own sake). I’m under no circumstances qualified to give advice or pose as a figure of authority and, ultimately, it’s up to you to choose what you want to do, since it’s your own time. You know, having time on your hands is exactly like having money – they’re both resources and it’s up to you how you spend them. Think about it for a bit and don’t forget to have an interesting winter break!
