By Sara Addis //
In accordance with protective measures against COVID-19, the University of Illinois has canceled our spring break. Many students have mentioned that they feel exhausted both mentally and physically without their much-needed off time. Although traveling may not be in the cards, there are still plenty of ways you can catch up on rest and have a great stay-at-home spring break with your friends.
Start off with catching up on sleep. This may seem like a basic, but driven college students neglect sleeping a full eight hours to either work or party. Press play on your favorite show and snuggle up in bed. Turn off your alarm for the next morning, and let yourself sleep in on a cozy weekend morning. Your body will thank you, and you will feel recharged and rejuvenated. Nothing will set you up for a great time like a good night’s sleep.
My next recommendation for having a fun weekend with friends is brought to you by TikTok. Gather a group of friends, sit outside — socially distant, of course — and have everyone make their favorite drink recipe. Heads up, this activity is for 21+ only! Everyone drinking different cocktails and relaxing will be a sure fire way to start off your staycation on the right foot.
After spending time with friends and catching up on rest, make sure you make time for yourself to be active too. A nice long walk or run outside will reconnect you with the outdoors and get you feeling confident! Breaking a sweat always provides me with a sense of accomplishment. Make sure you take a nice long stretch before and after you exercise if you don’t want to feel sore the following days.
Another self-care suggestion coming to you straight from social media is face masking. Whether it be a sheet or a lotion, hydrating or clarifying, sleeping with or without, a mask will help brighten and tighten your skin to give you your best-looking self. Having a great stay-at-home vacation requires serious rest and relaxation. Take the time to spoil yourself and let your skin soak up the vitamins and nourishment from the mask.
Take this next weekend to spend some extra time taking care of yourself and appreciating all of your hard work this past academic school year. We have six weeks left, and although some of us may be feeling the dampening six week slump, we can spend time re-energizing ourselves before getting back to our old routines.
The Spread 