How To Prioritize Your Mental Health & Wellbeing Over Spring Break

With the pressures of daily life weighing on us, burn-out is real and presents deep challenges to our mental health and wellbeing. Think of your spring break as a mental health vacation where you prioritize healing, rest, and recovery. Take the time to really focus back in on yourself and what your needs are. To give you a helping hand, we’ve got four ways to really help you improve your mental health and wellbeing during spring break and beyond.

4 ways to improve your mental health over spring break 

Embrace the idea of mental decompression

By taking a mental health vacation from your day-to-day life and temporarily letting go of the things that stress you out, you can release some of the negative emotions from your body and make space for more positive experiences and thoughts to enter. This is vital if you’re going to benefit from time away from college. 

Write a list of all the things that are weighing on your mind and stow it in your book bag. You can either share them with a loved one to troubleshoot and get support and solutions on how to move forward with them, or you can leave them at school to return to them in the new semester with a fresh perspective. Either way, identifying what’s on your mind is key to addressing it and coming up with coping strategies so you don’t stay stuck. 

Maintain a routine and get enough sleep

A simple way to improve mental health during spring break is to move your body every day and ensure you get enough sleep. Sleep is vital for our bodies to repair and recover, it’s also essential for basic brain function and plays a big part in moderating our hormones and mood. Whether you’re planning to pack some summer essentials into your backpack and let loose at the beach or chill out at home, make sleep a priority. Your mind and body will thank you for it when you’re back in class. Make sure you’re getting a good amount of physical activity each day too, whether that’s going for a bike ride, hiking, working out, or even doing chores around the house. Staying active is key and it will help your sleep quality too.

Recognize your limits and set boundaries 

Don’t push yourself to do anything or feel that you have to engage with anyone else’s idea of what you should be doing during your vacation time. Whether it’s by moderating how often you soak in spring break’s party culture or by stepping back from a toxic friendship group, knowing your own limits and not pushing yourself to meet the needs of others will help you maximize the restorative aspects of spring break. It’s OK to say no to things you don’t want to do. 

Reach out to loved ones for support

Recognizing that you’re struggling and asking for help is both brave and can be hugely beneficial when you’re feeling overwhelmed. Asking for support will strengthen your relationships, reduce your risk of health issues related to stress, and help you to develop better coping strategies. Speak to a parent or loved one about finding the right support for your needs.

Spring break offers the chance to reflect on the challenges of the semester so far and is an important opportunity to step back from college work and find space to breathe. Make time for yourself, listen to your body during your vacation, and rest and recharge in a way that best supports your mental health.

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