By:Trinity Pyle
Spring break is often seen as a time for relaxation and fun, a much-needed break for Sandia students. Spring break can have a significant impact on a student´s mental health in both positive and negative ways. Spring break can offer a chance to decompress and calm down. Freshman, Aidan Schiffli states, “I feel like it gives me time to re-collect myself and get a good break from school and being stress-free, if anything I feel relieved.¨ Students can step away from the pressure of deadlines, exams, and grades. The break can help reduce stress, anxiety, provide an opportunity to charge before the final push towards the end of the school year, where students are able to catch up on sleep, enjoy hobbies, and spend time with friends and family.
Schiffli says “The most exciting thing about spring break is that I’m not at school. Also the fact that I won’t be stressed out or tired and I get to make lots of plans and make money.” Sandia student, Ethan Hatfield says “It affects me by giving me a break from a lot of the stressful things in my life, especially school. It helps reset my mind.” Cordelia Willie expressed how she was most excited to sleep in, catch up on missing sleep, and see her entire family.
However, spring break isn't always positive. For some people, they have high expectations about how the week will go, which can lead to disappointment. The feeling of having an Instagram-worthy vacation and feeling social pressure can be strong for some and can be financially and emotionally draining.
The lack of structure can mess up those who thrive on routine, which can cause a messed up sleep schedule. Willie says “I start to stay up past my ´bedtime´ and then it starts as a 12am thing to a 2am thing and it really messes up how much sleep I get.”
Spring break can also amplify feelings of loneliness for those who may not be traveling or have a way to hang out with friends, especially when social media is flooded with photos of peers seemingly having a great time. Willie states “I think it affects my mental health a lot because I'm always in my room by myself and I don't have any distraction, meaning like friends to talk to and be around.”
Spring break may lead to the increased availability of free time which can lead to excessive partying, where students may partake in illegal substances which can have negative consequences on mental health.
However, Spring break is the perfect time to try new things that can positively affect your life, from outdoor Adventures like a picnic or a tent under the stars, to getting your hands dirty with DIY Crafts. Hatfield claims ¨It’s a great opportunity to get out and try new things and have fun without affecting school. It’s always a great reset to the mind and body¨
Whether you are looking for a physical activity like joining a local sports league, trying out a dance class, going for a daily jog, or prefer staying inside, trying out new recipes, hosting a cooking competition with friends, painting, knitting, or upcycling furniture, creating something with your hands. You can gather some friends, create a playlist and hit the road for a road trip. This is a great opportunity to get out of your house and explore nearby towns, national parks or attractions. A good way to relax and take off pressure is a movie marathon: Host a themed movie night with friends. Pick a series or genre, grab some popcorn, and settle into the cinematic fun.
Students all have different activities they like to do to fill their time. Hatfield likes to partake in ¨Camping, running, gaming, hiking, hanging out with friends and sleeping!¨ Willie says ¨I like to play volleyball against my walls, with my brothers, Facetime my friends and play roblox,¨ while Schiffli claims ¨I love to go out, hang out with friends, go to the mall, really spend time with family, and play online games with friends.¨
Even though there are some negatives to spring break, Schiffli states ”I feel like people should really use this time off to reflect and take time from people, negative people, and focus on themselves. It's time to collect yourself again and use this time as a long breather. If family is important to you, then maybe you should spend the most time with your family. Going out with friends is also really good, it’s a good stress reliever and makes you forget about the bad things. Just know whatever you're going through, it will be over soon and it will get better. Just know everyone is worth something and people care about you.¨ Have a great positive spring break Sandia Students!
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