Check out Peer Advisor Emma Stopek’s tips on keeping up that good ol’ holiday spirit in the midst of at-home finals and the general malaise of 2020!
For as long as I can recall, December has evoked memories of sipping hot chocolate, watching Elf surrounded by family, and the cozy feeling of that first snowfall. However, this year, all I can manage to think about is COVID, blue light glasses, and how in the world I’m supposed to take finals while trapped inside my childhood home with nowhere to go due to a statewide lockdown. But fear not UHPers. Wherever you are, I have some tips on how to destress and hang onto that last thread of holiday spirit while balancing the craziness of COVID & finals!
Take a break and make some cookies!
We honors students are very prone to overworking ourselves, especially with the end of the semester approaching. So, what’s a better way to unplug and beat zoom fatigue than to whip up some cookies with your roommates or family members? I have linked here some of my favorite holiday cookie recipes, please try them and let me know how they turn out! Happy baking!
Hershey kiss peanut butter cookies: https://www.hersheys.com/kitchens/en_us/recipes/peanut-butter-blossoms.html
Sugar cookies:
https://www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/recipes/a50502/basic-sugar-cookies-recipe/
Snickerdoodles:
Treat yourself with an early holiday present
After you finish that grueling final paper or click submit on your hardest final, why not reward yourself by checking something off your own holiday list? There are so many sales happening on the internet right now and it just seems like the perfect pick me up during these trying times. When you’re slumped over the computer in that 3rd zoom class of the day and are longing for an ounce of serotonin, treat yourself to that item that’s been on your Amazon wishlist for a month (that is just an example, remember to shop local <3).
Here is a college student holiday gift list for some inspiration: https://nymag.com/strategist/article/best-gift-ideas-college-students.html
Have a Holiday Movie Marathon
One of my favorite ways to destress is to close my laptop, turn off my phone, and binge some good-ol’ holiday movie classics. All you need is a fuzzy blanket, some popcorn, and hot cocoa (family and friends are optional). My recommendations are Elf, Home Alone, The Polar Express, The Grinch, A Christmas Story, and Love Actually.
I hope these tips help in restoring a sense of holiday season normalcy in these unprecedented times. Although this is a lighthearted post, I really do understand how hard it can be and my only advice would be to take it one day at a time and do small things to make yourself happy! Also, the holidays are truly about showing the people you love how much you care about them, which can be so difficult in a socially-distanced world. So be sure to facetime that friend that you miss, email your favorite professor, and tell your family you love them! Have an amazing holiday season, and remember, “The best way to spread holiday cheer is for singing loud for all to hear.”
