Once each week, I get a vacation. I get to lay by the pool, spend time preparing my favorite meals, and truly pampering myself. That vacation occurs every Saturday between the hours of 8 am and 1 pm. That’s right: I get a 5 hour vacation every week. Other than that? No vacations, no breaks. Even in the winter, I spend the holiday break working or taking expedited classes, and in the summer it’s the same situation. Thanksgiving? That’s right before finals, I’m studying my ass off. Spring Break? Not if you like money. Most full timers get to go on a paid vacation once in a while, but since I only work 35 hours as a student, no vacations for me.
So yeah, Saturday mornings. I figured since that’s my only actual break, I’d tell you guys how I spend it, and why you should give yourself a five hour vacation once a week.
First, I wake up between 8:00 and 8:45, because that’s a lot of sleeping in for someone who wakes up at 6 during the week. I lay around in bed for a while, usually scrolling through Facebook or Instagram, doing mostly nothing, exactly how I like to start my vacation. At around 9 I make my way to the kitchen, usually for something fruity. While I prepare food or eat, I spend some time watching vegan YouTube channels for some inspiration for Sunday’s meal prep.
After I finish eating, I usually just sit on the couch or at my desk and plan my day. Weekends are usually for errands, so I spend that part of Saturday morning deciding what I’ll do, in what order. Once everything is planned, I either like to exercise or go lay by the pool. Both activities boost my mood and make me feel recharged and ready for the rest of the weekend full of homework and chores.
For me, my mini weekly vacation is extremely satisfying and relaxing–it’s one of the reasons that I do it. The other reason is because I have to; if I don’t take several hours out of my week to truly relax and do what I love, I burn out and I’m no longer doing my best work. I take an enormous amount of pride in everything that I do, which means that if I don’t take a break to recharge, I can’t do what I need to do. I take a weekly vacation, and you should too!
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