Spring break is almost here. It’s a time for unwinding and recharging, for thinking over the work we’ve done so far and the work we’ve yet to do. It’s also a time for binge drinking, hypersexual activity and general intemperance.
That’s right, I’m talking about that kind of spring break, Panama City spring break — all-day parties, wet T-shirt contests, and wild nights that you won’t even remember the next day. If you think that’s what your break will look like, then I’m excited for you. Really, I mean it.
Misbehaving can be a very good thing. Short of advocating a life of excess, I believe everyone should make an effort at least once a week to be troublesome. It’s healthy, and it’s natural. We get bored coloring inside the lines for too long.
Some people have this life lesson on lockdown. You know them; they’re the ones that are talked about, the ones with great stories to tell. Undoubtedly some take mischief too far, and harm themselves or others. For those people, more moderation is needed.
I won’t say the two extremes are equally bad, but many of us don’t step out of line often enough. If you are one of those people, consider letting loose this spring break. The consequences may happily surprise you.
Some psychologists claim that breaking outside your behavioral boundaries can be very beneficial. So long as your misdoings don’t have any serious consequences, they are at least a fun break from your usual routine. More often than not, they will reaffirm the reasons that you usually do stick to a set of positive boundaries. Sometimes, though, stepping outside the well-worn path leads to your discovering a wholly new direction for yourself — an avenue of potential and innovation.
Spring break is so called because it is in fact a reprieve from the bustle of college life. Such breaks are necessary; every religion and culture incorporates them in some form. That being said, relaxation is more than the conscious refusal of busyness. It is not entirely passive.
Relaxation takes two forms, internal and external. Internal relaxation is that practice of unwinding that takes place within and allows for self-reflection. Many students, myself included, go camping or backpacking over spring break. Time spent in nature, particularly quiet time to be with your thoughts, allows you to contemplate who you are and what you are making of your life in college. Internal relaxation operates within your behavioral boundaries.
External relaxation involves getting outside yourself, either by submitting to external influences or consciously overstepping your prudential limits — or both; think how much easier it is to be daring when you are “under the influence” of friends or alcohol.
