Getting Out of the 'Holidaze'

Summer 2k19 is ending. This means it's time for the Back-2-School prep to start. My favourite part of a school year is hands down school supplies shopping. All those colorful arrangements of notebooks, binders and schoolbags at Walmart and Staples and Target have a hypnotic pull to them. It's like they make you realize that you need everything from heart shaped sticky notes to erasers that are made to look like soccer balls. And buying a haul of supplies makes me feel ready for the new school year. But is that all it takes?

This summer, I broke my personal record of staying up by staying awake for almost 30 hours. And the reason wasn't productive: I was re-watching all the episodes of The Flash; Season 1 to Season 5. 30 hours of just Grant Gustin. I mean 30 hours of Grant Gustin isn't the worst thing ever but this ruined my whole sleep schedule and it took me a while to get myself back on track.

And I have pulled all nighters before, especially when school is on. But I've never been able to be a productive person the morning after an all nighter. I need my sleep. And a summer break ruins the sleep cycles of many people. Sleep, one of the only things that can relax, rejuvenate and heal your body.

How I got back on track was a bit weird, but it worked for me. Like every other day since I had messed up my routine, I woke up after noon. I got up, brushed my teeth, had a breakfast/lunch/brunch and the I made the decision that I won't go to sleep even if I'm sleepy. The thing is, I only felt sleepy after 5AM the next day. So I did what I had been doing all week; I watched a whole lot of Netflix; I searched random questions that popped up in my head; I played Hogwarts Mystery (don't you dare say it's shitty).

Then 5AM rolled around and I was starting to get sleepy. But I had already decided: I wouldn't sleep all day. I wouldn't even take a power nap. I went to the park near my house and had a blast on the swings. I helped my mom in the kitchen. I drank homemade juices and tea. I did everything I could to stay awake till at least 7PM. And I guess the Gods had heard my pleas and helped me stay awake till 7. Then, after making my dad a cup of tea, when he got home from work, I went into my room and went to bed. No hassle of brushing my teeth or anything, because I feel like toothpaste is refreshing and I really couldn't afford to feel refreshed at that moment.

I went to bed at 7PM and woke up at 6AM the next day. I woke up refreshed and not a single bit tired, unlike the previous days. And then I went on with my day. This is what I did, and this is what helped me. What helped me may not be something everyone finds helpful, but it gives you an idea of something that works. You could use it as a last resort.

Besides the drastic measures you may have to take to get back on track, you will have to put in effort to stay on track. I know that listening to Taylor Swift's slow and sad songs helps me go to sleep, so you could find a playlist that works for you. I wouldn't recommend something on the YouTube app, because the ads in the middle of certain videos have woken me up and it's hard to go back to sleep after that. Meditating helps my mom. She has a whole Meditation course you can take. Check it out at www.youniverseloa.com. Reading can help calm your thoughts before bed, but being in a well lit area, or at least in enough light to help you read, won't help you in trying to feel sleepy. So, try reading an hour or so before going to bed. You’ll be calm and relaxed, and the light won’t take your sleepiness away. Here’s a weird trick I read about a while ago: Try blinking nonstop for a minute or so. This should make your eyelids tired and by extension make you fall asleep.

Something else summer breaks do is make you lazy and lethargic. Nobody would last a day in school if they had the same laid-back attitude there as they did during the summer. I love laying around and not doing anything all day, because in my mind, I earned the rest for being a good student all year. But making lazing around a habit can have consequences, especially when school reopens.

The only way that I can combat this is by trying to study. In a lot of schools, especially ones that start in April or follow an Indian curriculum or do both, you must study no matter what you want because of all the upcoming tests and exams. And I guess studying at an Indian school may have put me into the habit of studying even when I’m not required to. But the plus point to studying the course before the academic year starts is that you already know a bit of what the teacher/s is/are talking about and you know what you don’t get. So, it’s easier for you to ask questions and clarify any doubts you have. At the very least, you can sound smart in class; while your classmates may be hearing all this information for the first time, you’ll know what the teacher is saying and you can even do a little extra research of your own to impress your teacher/s.

Other than that, my way of getting out of the ‘holidaze’ is by making some sustainable habits. The thing about back 2 school habits is that, like new year’s resolutions, we depend on a certain date or week or month to begin implementing big changes in our life, usually all at once. And then, when the pressure of other things new catches up to us, we let go of these habits. So, if you want to start drinking at least a litre of water a day when school starts, because you want flawless skin or a flexible body, you have to start somewhere. And there is no better time than now. Start drinking water now, immediately. Start small if you have to. Make sure you have time for this new habit. If you want to get fit, but your days are 7am to 7pm, going to the gym won’t be a sustainable habit. Instead, try working out at home. Try doing your arm exercises in the washroom and your lunges while walking around your apartment or house.

One thing that everyone should maybe drill into their heads is that something that works for one person doesn’t necessarily have to work for you. Understanding yourself, your needs, your body’s needs and working on your findings may actually be the best way to find the best version of yourself. There will be trials and error but the Eiffel Tower wasn’t built in a day and look at it now; it’s one of the seven wonders of the world.

Hope this was as helpful to you as it was to me. Let me know if you have any habits that help you bounce back after a long break from school or work. Come back for more! Have a good week. - Aarushi