By The Editorial Board
By the time “Halloweekend” finally rolled around, students had been abuzz about the collision of Halloween and homecoming for weeks. It seemed like everywhere you went, someone was talking about their Halloween costume or which homecoming traditions they were going to attend.
Although Halloween was last night — a Tuesday and a school night — there were undoubtedly plenty of students who had planned something spooky to celebrate, even if it was just buying some candy and watching scary movies with friends. All this is to say, from Halloween plans to homecoming schedules, the collision on Halloweekend really gave students something to look forward to.
At this point in the year, the combination of academics, work, internships and other school-oriented responsibilities can leave students swamped, and the light at the end of the tunnel can seem to grow frustratingly dim. Seasonal affective disorder is also coming into full swing, and it hits some people harder than others. While seasonal depression often requires more in-depth treatment, giving yourself plans to anticipate can certainly serve as a way to cope with the winter blues.
Giving yourself plans, events and outings to look forward to also allows you to embrace a more optimistic outlook on life. Rather than motivating yourself with the fear of what will happen if you let your work pile up or if you don’t do your best on a task, you use your desire for a reward as motivation to get things done.
For many students, the holidays are an effective carrot to dangle in front of themselves. The days off alone are often enough to motivate students to work more, study harder and complete tasks in a timely manner. However, you can further use this break to your advantage by including details that you can visualize in your plans while working toward them.
So, when the holidays hit, make sure you have something specific planned, like eating food your family makes on Thanksgiving, revisiting a fun pastime with a friend from home or enjoying winter activities with your family. If you’re not visiting home this break, you can look forward to specific moments on your travels. If your break is spent at Baylor, you can make the most of your chill time here on campus.
And while the holidays are well on their way, you don’t have to wait for these occasions to celebrate yourself. In fact, it is best if you give yourself something to look forward to on a regular basis. Depending on your needs and what your schedule allows, plan something fun for yourself every week — or every day, if you can. This could be attending a student activity you are passionate about or getting dinner with your friend group on the weekend.
Whatever you enjoy and whatever motivates you, the key to giving yourself things to look forward to is to plan ahead. Make your plans tangible by putting them on your calendar and crossing off the days until you get to put them into play. Every time you feel yourself slacking off or losing focus, think of how much fun you are going to have once you get over the hurdle.
When school starts to feel too stressful or it becomes difficult to get yourself to go to work, try to use your exciting plans to put your day or week into a better perspective. Remember that you don’t live to work; instead, you work hard and give it your all so that you can live for yourself and do what you enjoy.
