Photo Courtesy Emily Traweek
For college students, relaxing over Thanksgiving break is crucial considering how soon final exams are scheduled following the November holiday. With the average student typically juggling extracurriculars, a job—or multiple—and the twists and turns of adulthood, the short break offers a chance to push everyday chores to the side for a bit and do things that nourish the soul.
Although it might seem counterintuitive to the goal of spending your free time how you see fit, separating yourself from your electronics is one way to help ease your stress and prepare for the upcoming testing season. Take advantage of this short time away from classes and see it as an opportunity for a digital detox.
A digital detox can help you refresh your mindset and foster a broader outlook on your educational life and goals, as well as your personal life.
While taking time away from electronics, social media and other forms of technology may seem daunting at first, consider how much of your everyday life is now defined by technology and how that influences how you spend your spare time.
Most students can admit to spending too much time glued to screens rather than taking the initiative to explore new things and expand knowledge.
Taking a morning walk to start the day, instead of scrolling through your phone, gives you space and time to be with yourself, your body and your mind. Take time to reconnect with yourself and your future outlook on life.
Avoid making the mistake of wasting away your time on your electronics this holiday break. Instead, choose to challenge yourself to break digital routine habits that may be impacting your long-term health.
Taking a break from your digital companions could help you establish better morning and night routines, thereby improving your sleep and your overall performance in your day-to-day tasks.
Instead of doomscrolling before bed, which most of society now does, try reading a book, journaling or meditating. Ask yourself what adjustments you could make to ensure you wake up happy, well-rested and with a more focused sense of confidence as you tackle your day.
Perfecting these habits during the break will then trickle into your habits for the remainder of the school year, allowing you to finish this semester strong!
Being overly dependent on technology, such as television, computers, phones and tablets, can disrupt your brain’s ability to process delayed gratification, further causing it to favor instant gratification.
Getting too comfortable with instant gratification makes it harder to stick to routines that take time to show results or improvements. Putting your electronics aside will not only help you establish a nourishing routine, but it will also teach you patience and a willingness to tackle your goals head-on, knowing that if you put in the work, you will see the benefits sooner or later.
Technology allows you to have the world at your fingertips, giving you ultimate power as both a digital and economic consumer. Many have become so accustomed to this accessibility that society sometimes forgets how these advancements have taken away certain individual freedoms.
In a world where lives are being ruled by technology, take this time to do a digital detox, remember your humanness and connect with yourself.
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