The one thing not to do during the holidays

Of course, there are a lot of things one should not do over the holidays, including avoiding home cooked meals, neglecting on embraces for your family (if that is something you are comfortable doing), not visiting your favorite spots—either culinary or home spots. But the most important thing, above all of those things, the very one thing never to do during the holidays no matter which one you celebrate, no matter the relationships you have at home, no matter how long you are away—is to think about school.

I know I cannot speak for everyone, but I have noticed that when I go home for the holidays I always end up thinking of my grades, of those responsibilities I don’t necessarily have because I have cleared my time away with everyone I need to, and yet those thoughts trickle in. I think about whether I should start studying for classes, whether there’s an email I need to send. I have learned that that’s a terrible thing to do.

It’s not a thing about “living in the moment” but it’s an attempt to preserve your mental health for the incoming semester. It’s a way to learn to separate yourself when you need it the most, to begin to recover from a rocky semester if need be. Holidays are for you and only you, no matter what you are doing or where you are going, you must make yourself a priority occasionally—not your grades, not your friends: yourself.

Honestly it’s a very difficult thing to do, separating yourself, but this is one vacation no-no.