Spring break is almost here — “finally” — and whether your plans include travel to the nearest warm spot or just crashing at home for several days, the first thing on your mind is probably to get rest.
We’re Hillsdale students, we talk a lot about how busy we are. During the school year it seems the only difference between you and the person next to you having a mental breakdown in the library is that you are the strong one. The overcommitted and unprepared, over-caffeinated and under-rested lifestyle hasn’t pulled you under … yet.
We, the champions of economic freedom and personal responsibility, are living the psychological equivalent of paycheck-to-paycheck, just trying to make it to the next break. We schedule everything down to 15-minute intervals, but we forget to schedule rest.
“I’ll sleep on break,” you tell yourself.The reality is, this kind of lifestyle is hugely detrimental not only to our physical health, but also to our mental health. Burnout can happen, and it’s not just for second-semester seniors. When we’re running at full capacity 24/7, eventually we run out of gas, and sometimes it’s before we get to break.
Even if you do make it to break, it’s not uncommon to get sick once you crash. Your lifestyle catches up to your body at some point, and by the time you’re well again, it’s time to come back and do it all over again. What’s good, true, or beautiful about that?
There’s a great line from the 2000s TV show “Gilmore Girls,” that goes like this: “Saturday is the day of pre-rest. Then by the time you get to Sunday you’re rested enough to enjoy your rest.” And there’s merit in that.
Instead of cramming every last activity in before you go on break, instead of staying up all night because you can sleep in tomorrow, get some pre-rest. You might find you have a better #SB2K19 because of it.
