So what does Spring Break mean for you? In just a few days, many of us will learn it will be different than what we envisioned it to be. And, while things will happen that will be out of our control (for example, our daydream of vacationing in the islands might not become reality), we might be able to control one aspect of it for ourselves – and that is getting some rest.

Let’s review your mindset about downtime. It really is OK to not do anything (this includes, not thinking of the work or other activities missed during this time). Here are a few restorative practices that can prepare you for spring break:

Walk: Spring weather can be unpredictable – but on those nicer days, consider taking a brisk walk. Immersing yourself in nature can be therapeutic and give perspective. There is a big world out there to get distracted by – if just for a few minutes. Take a walk. Breathe in, breathe out.

Nutrition: In addition to exercise, have a nutrition goal in mind. For example, eating clean this spring to prep for that summer bod is one thing, but eating healthy should be a lifestyle endeavor. And, the effects are connected to rest and relaxation. During this time, enjoy lighter meals and snacks that won’t challenge your digestive system and as a result, affect your sleep.

Sleep: And speaking of sleep, spring break always promises plenty of time to catch up on your snooze, but…we are often distracted by other attention grabbers. For example, all the free time (not) to get done what we daydream about during work hours, becomes consumed with newsfeed scrolling. Here’s the trick: go to bed at a reasonable time, so that you can wake up at a reasonable time. You might get all the stuff done that you want to that day. In fact, if you’re exercising and eating right, it might not take a lot for you to relax and drift off. If you really want to indulge, take a midday nap!

Daylight Savings and You: That one hour may seem like a short amount of time but it can wreak havoc on you and your family’s bedtime and wake time schedules. Recalibrating could take a while but what you don’t want to do is sleep in longer. Try to stick to your schedule and bedtime routine and even with “losing” an hour, your body will more readily adjust.
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Source:

Diet, Exercise and Sleep, 2009. Retrieved from: https://www.sleepfoundation.org/articles/diet-exercise-and-sleep