Tips for self-care over winter break

After a long year, it’s important to treat yourself

By Greg Waldock, Staff Writer

It’s been a rough semester. Somehow, it feels like everyone is saying that this year. Maybe it’s the global politics, maybe it’s the weather, maybe it’s the economy—whatever it is, it feels like students are having a harder time than usual this time around. Thank God winter break is just around the corner. Once all the papers are cited and exams are turned in, it’s important to take a moment to take care of yourself a little bit.

Cut the booze.

If you’re like me, you’ve been hitting the bottle a little harder than usual these past few months. Once all the school work is done, give your body a break. Celebrate Christmas and New Year’s, but otherwise, let your liver have a rest. It’ll help you sleep so much better.

Make your bed more comfortable.

Speaking of sleep, get yourself a new pillow, blanket, or comforter. You can find them cheap at Bed, Bath, and Beyond or Walmart. They don’t have to be extra soft—just giving yourself something warmer while the crappy weather moves in is a strong morale booster. Consider it a reward for surviving 2017!

Get out and do things.

This is the hardest one for me to write, but it’s so important. Everyone loves staying inside over break, but you just spent all semester writing papers, doing lab reports, and completing assignments—plus any job or jobs you have to do to keep yourself afloat financially. Go do something different! Bundle up and walk around a park you’ve never visited, or take a risk and visit an event you’ve never been to. Vancouver is packed with stuff and your U-Pass is valid through the whole month of December! You’ll need to give yourself all the rest and self-care you can get, because most of us will still need to work over winter break, and visiting family and arranging holiday gatherings is always a huge heap of stress.

These three tips are just ways to give yourself a little breathing room, and to psychologically reinforce all the damn good work you’ve done this past semester.