By: Paige Lougheed
Edited by Peter Milobar
Finally, the day we’ve all been waiting for: February 13th! Reading Break has officially begun. Now, you have a full week of no classes and no structure. In some ways, this can seem a little daunting- what will I do with all my free time? Should I use every hour of this break to catch up on all my readings? Is it okay to not be productive for a full day? Hint: yes, it absolutely is. It is okay to let yourself relax. You don’t have to feel bad about it.
You will see people spending their Reading Break a variety of different ways. Remember that people have different definitions of fun- something that is fun for one person might not be fun for another. I encourage you to challenge conventional norms of happiness and take some time to think about what really makes you feel happy and relaxed. I promise you that it looks different for everyone. You may find relaxation in taking a three hour nap, phoning a friend you haven’t spoken to in a while, or reading that book you always said you would read one day. Relaxation can even look like catching up on schoolwork you’ve been procrastinating and going to bed early. You could even stare at a wall for a full hour in the hopes of realizing the winning lottery numbers, and find that you still don’t know. All of this is absolutely, one hundred percent okay. Pictures of people taking sunny vacations or road trips may bombard your Instagram feed, but it doesn’t mean that you wasted your Reading Break by not doing those things. Maybe you did nothing- and maybe you had the best time ever.
Always remember, folks: You are worth more than your productivity.
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