Summer is a difficult time for students. It’s like a long-awaited movie sequel: too much hype heightens your expectations unnecessarily, so when it does arrive, it leaves you feeling disappointed and that it's highly overrated. Even if you have a summer job, it’s most likely part-time or not related to your future professional career, so it doesn’t provide enough of a distraction. The remaining days are spent either sleeping in till noon after staying up into the wee hours of the morning binge-watching Netflix, or hopping from one air-conditioned building to the next, attempting to avoid the hell-fires of summer with a backlog of activities. In the past, I have experienced both types of summers, and although it is important to use the opportunity of summer break to turn off your brain for an extended period of time, it is terribly easy to fall into the first category, the deadly summer slump. This is an apathetic state in which you accomplish absolutely nothing, and can last for an undetermined number of weeks, even months. Over the past few years, I have been perfecting certain methods that make it possible to escape this heinous ‘summer funk’ and launch yourself into the world of creativity and productivity. These tips are all based on personal successes, so if you’ve started to see the symptoms of this “summer funk,” have no fear.

First of all, if you’re like me and easily become addicted to TV shows, the first step is to stop. Quit cold turkey, I’m not kidding. Try the no-screens challenge, in which you are completely cut off from streaming videos or shows for at least a week. When the week is up, try for two weeks. You’d be surprised how much time you free up for yourself when you do. I realize this tip may seem hypocritical, since in this very issue I also recommend TV shows on Hulu and Netflix, but hear me out. The No-Screens Challenge only applies to watching binge-watching shows alone. Feel free to pick a show to watch with a certain friend, or watch an episode a night with a parent. It’s a fun way to bond with people as well as sates your need for episodes while not eating up your entire day.

One of the best ways to reignite your creative flame is to completely rearrange your room. You don’t have to redecorate necessarily, although that can help. Even just moving your bed from one side of the room to the other can be a refreshing change. Moving things around can spark your creativity in small ways that can add up to a great summer. Maybe hang up some of your favorite artwork to inspire you as well. Just small changes can inspire you to continue to make your room the perfect place to be imaginative and productive. If you’re looking to declutter your room at the same time, I recommend reading "The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up" by Marie Kondo.

It can be disappointing to feel trapped in a schedule if you have a job or other commitments over break. If you don’t have the resources to travel this summer, camp in your backyard. Build a campfire (only if it’s legal where you live) and roast s’mores. Even if it’s not some crazy adventure, it’s a change of pace that can make great memories at the same time. If you do have time to go camping for real, go somewhere where the stars will be visible, somewhere free of pollution. If you find yourself lacking inspiration or purpose, I promise that stargazing on a clear summer night will change that. It sounds really cheesy, but it works wonders on the soul and the mind.

Try new things. As often as possible, choose something you haven’t done before. At a restaurant? Order something new. Listening to music? Play a genre you’ve never listened to, or at least that album your friend keeps insisting is amazing. Bored of your normal activities? Take a class or watch tutorials on something you’ve always wanted to try (I took a pottery class and I absolutely loved it). Go to the library and choose three books you’ve never heard of and start reading.

If you use this free time to try at least some of these tips, you may surprise yourself. Use your summer to revitalize your drive to pursue knowledge, to succeed and persist when times get difficult, and to discover your own creativity. Getting lost in a “summer funk” may be an easy, relaxing way to spend break, but in the long run, you’ll be so much more satisfied knowing you spent your summers discovering new corners of the world and seeking adventure, even in the smallest of ways. None of these tips need to be confined to summer break, but I know how easy it is to slide into inactivity in the summer, so here’s some advice for those who want to avoid wasting days free of school. Make a mini bucket list to pump yourself up for break and continue your summer excited for adventures to come!