Columnist Erin Davoran writes bout how going on a spring break trip can provide much-needed relief for students at their wit’s end with school.
I knew this semester would be hard. I chose a challenging final semester. And I am trying my best to appreciate every day I have left on campus.
I’m still determined to work hard to finish strong in my classes, and I don’t need a break from Athens. But that doesn’t mean I don’t welcome the coming relief of spring break.
I’ve never gone on a spring break trip. But this year, I’m going on a cruise to the Bahamas with a bunch of friends.
By their very nature, cruises don’t provide a ton of WiFi or cell service, which means I will be forced to disconnect for a week. I will be forced to actually take a break.
Part of me wants to save work offline that I can do on the ship. But I really don’t want to risk taking my laptop to sea and, honestly, with everything that will be going on around me, that work probably won’t happen.
Rather than feeling guilty when I’m relaxing on the deck instead of stressing over textbooks and research papers in my tiny, windowless room, I’m choosing to let myself off the hook.
I’m choosing to take a week of R&R to refresh, recharge and regain my motivation. I predict this will be very healthy.
A friend pointed out that none of us on the cruise will be checking our phones every second since we can’t receive texts, emails, tweets, voicemails from worried parents, etc. This means we will actually have conversations and meals together where we are engaged and are looking at each other instead of screens. This also means I will be forced not to worry about what I’m missing or not doing for school, because there will be nothing I can do about it.
Maybe I shouldn’t have to force myself to relax, but when stress becomes a constant in your life, it becomes very difficult to turn it off.
To show how stressed I am, I took Learn Psychology’s quiz in its "Student Guide to Surviving Stress and Anxiety in College & Beyond" and this was my result: “Your stress level has reached a critical stage. Now is the time to take serious steps to reduce the stressors in your life. Speak with your doctor or counselor as soon as possible, and explain your life situation to them. Ask for help!”
Awesome.
But, I’m not alone. According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, 75 percent of the 40 million U.S. adults who suffer from an anxiety disorder experience their first episode of anxiety by age 22. That’s 30 million people.
In March, the New York Times reported that anxiety has surpassed depression as the most common health diagnosis among college students, according to a study by the Center for Collegiate Mental Health at Penn State.
The Times also reported that 1 in 6 college students has been diagnosed with or treated for anxiety, according to the American College Health Association.
So, if you are going on a spring break trip, give yourself permission to actually take a break.
If you aren’t going on a trip but are going home or staying in Athens, don’t think that just because you aren’t going anywhere crazy, you can’t take a vacation from the anxiety.
The work will still be there, and unfortunately so will the stress, but it’s healthy to take a few days away from it all; it might even help you focus and decrease the anxiety a little bit. Next week, you have that opportunity. Take it. I know I am.
When we set sail in a few days, I’m leaving the stress and the schoolwork on shore. It’s probably easier said than done, but I at least am going to try. You should too.
Erin Davoran is a senior studying journalism. What are your spring break plans? Tweet her @erindavoran or email her at ed414911@ohio.edu.
