Rewarding Ways to Spend Your Summer as an Undergrad
By Julia Yurchesyn
@juliaxemilyy
Thumbnail Photo by Marc Najera on Unsplash
Whether you’re enrolled in spring/summer classes or taking a break from academics, the months between April and September can at times be both relaxing and overwhelming. Maybe you have a busy schedule and feel the need to slow down and focus on self-care, or perhaps your days are pretty quiet and you’re trying to prevent them from slipping by. This article will suggest some ways to make the most of the spring and summer months, so that by the time September rolls around you'll have spent some time prioritizing things that you value or are interested in, and have new habits to introduce into the new academic year.
1. Establish a Sleep Schedule: Avoid Revenge Bedtime Procrastination
After a long day, do you stay up late to have some “me” time? If this is a habit of yours, then you probably experience Revenge Bedtime Procrastination. Essentially it means you stay awake and sacrifice sleep time to make up for the free time you didn’t have during the day, which for me is all too relatable. Here are some tips to avoid this:
If you haven’t already read my article on the importance of sleep for students, I suggest that you check it out! Adults typically need 7-9 hours of sleep a night, but this is one of the easiest aspects of our health and our life to neglect. Now is the perfect time to invest in good sleeping habits, especially if you’re working a job with fairly regular hours. Establishing a healthy and consistent sleep schedule that you can rely on will help you during the fall semester, which can be hectic when you’re balancing a course load, a social life, and perhaps a job and other commitments.
One way to set up a solid sleep schedule is by creating your own evening/night routine. This can include when you get home, cooking and meal prep, dinner, winding down, and the time you schedule to go to bed. This might also mean ensuring tasks on your to-do list are completed during the day rather than in the evening and at night.
2. Make Physical Activity a Habit
We often overlook our bodies and our need to exercise when it’s cold outside, classes are stressful and the last thing we want to do is go to the gym, especially if you’re not a regular gym-goer. The warmer months make it easier to create a habit because it’s more comfortable to go outside for a walk or run, and the increase of sunlight can improve our mental health, motivating us to create habits like an exercise routine.
However, it’s easy to become overwhelmed at the idea of beginning an exercise routine and start off super intense without the ability to maintain the high expectations we set for ourselves. Perhaps we should focus on the small and manageable changes that can be made with little effort besides intentionality. In the article “Keeping Fit with Little Effort”, Rita Jabbour goes into really helpful ways one can be active without feeling overwhelmed or particularly overburdened. This can be maintained, or enable someone to take greater strides in their fitness journey. If you’re looking for a place to start, definitely give that article a read!
Personally, I have to recommend the Nike Run Club app, especially the beginner guided runs you can find there (having someone coach you through a run is amazing). They really help you get started as a runner and motivate you to run consistently. I also recommend FitOn for FREE workout videos—there’s an amazing selection that you can find there and it makes working out so much more feasible and realistic.
3. Practice Cooking and Meal Prepping!
Too often during the fall and winter I would find myself buying food every day instead of packing my lunches because life was just so overwhelming. Now, I’m prioritizing packing food with me to bring to work consistently so I have a routine by the time September comes around.
Especially if you’re not taking spring/summer classes, this is a great time to invest in developing your cooking skills and make meal prepping a habit. Even beyond university, building this skill can help you to save money and eat a more nutrient-filled and balanced diet.
Where to find recipes? So many are online, you can just search ‘easy recipes’ on Google or even head over to Pinterest! Or, if you know anyone who cooks often, you can ask them to share some recipes with you. You can pick a few to learn initially and then cycle through them on a day-to-day or weekly basis. It’s really empowering to be able to make food for yourself that is healthy and you enjoy, and it’s a good way to practice self-care and look after your body when life gets busy.
4. Invest Time into Your Hobbies
Even though they may not be considered productive, spending time doing hobbies that you enjoy (like reading, playing an instrument, gaming, drawing/painting, writing, etc.) shouldn’t be neglected! Not only do they have mental health benefits and help manage stress, but having a passion for something makes the day-to-day more enjoyable and interesting. Hobbies can help you to grow as you learn new perspectives, develop your skills and overcome challenges. If it’s a skill-based hobby, watching yourself improve and get better can be extremely fulfilling and help you feel excited about life. Additionally, hobbies can also connect you to a community with similar interests and passions (if you’re into gaming, definitely check out the SMU Journal’s Video Game column).
Use the summer to start doing a hobby you haven’t done for a while, or pick up something entirely new! You never know what may come of it, or where it will take you.
5. See New Places
Whether internationally, nationally, or locally, go make some travel plans! It’s easy to feel restless during the fall and winter months when we have to stay close to campus for classes and are unable due to time, location, or weather constraints to venture out and explore. Making time for travel now is a good way to emotionally prepare for a busy year ahead, and perhaps cross a few places off your bucket list.
If you’re in NS and would like to explore different beaches and/or hiking spots, go check out this article here! If you want to spend some time exploring the city, you can also try visiting different cafe locations and thrift stores across Halifax.
What are you waiting for? Go out and do the little things that make life worth living. There are many different ways you can spend your time during the summer months! Remember to also take some time to rest, even if it means being unproductive. Allowing yourself the time to relax and destress is absolutely necessary. And, of course, go outside, enjoy the sun and free your mind!