Surrounded by midterms and assignments, many Honors students have a hard time finding a moment for a break. Two days before the official start of spring break, a self-care event was hosted in the Honors lounge. Free cookies, scrunchies, eye masks, and face masks were available for students. For the most part, people came and went steadily, grabbing some items before departing to finish the last of their assignments before the break began. However, several of us sat together on the couches, hanging out and chatting for the duration of the event. One of us tried an eye mask for the first time and another sipped coffee as we talked. Everyone worked on assignments of one kind or another, from taking psychology notes to working on a character analysis. After a fulfilling yet busy half-semester, crammed full of assignments, this chance to sit back and relax was a welcome one. The fact that Honors thought to hold such an event, recognizing the importance of giving students time and space to look after their own well-being during what is an especially stressful week of school for many, speaks to how much the members of Honors are valued not only as productive students, but also as unique individuals. 

All of us being theater nerds, it was not long before a discussion about Broadway arose. We talked about the stage adaptation of Moulin Rouge as well as our thoughts on both Aaron Tveit and Derek Klena as the main character and romantic lead, Christian. We spoke further about Tveit, including about his lesser-known role as James Galant in the Hallmark Christmas movie One Royal Holiday. 

From there, we talked about other popular media we enjoy, praising The Last of Us, speculating about the new Mario movie and sharing our thoughts on all things Percy Jackson- the books, the films, and what we know so far about the upcoming television series on Disney+. This interaction goes to show that self-care is not necessarily something you have to do on your own. While chilling alone in your bed is a perfectly acceptable form of self-care, so is hanging out with friends and discussing your shared interests, bonding over your passions and laughing together. 

Then, we talked about what we were looking forward to doing over break, all of us mentioning seeing our pets. This led to one of us recounting our experience at a dog cafe on the East Side. The pet discussion concluded with us collectively agreeing that a cat would be a welcome addition to the Honors lounge. It’s no secret that the company of animals is extremely beneficial to the mental health of everyone. The steady, nonjudgmental companionship of a pet would do wonders for stressed out college students and would help make the lounge feel even more welcoming. 

This pleasant hour of schoolwork interspersed with discussion of our shared interests was a lovely way to wrap up the first half of the spring semester. Taking a break from racing the clock to meet deadlines and instead leisurely spending time with fellow Honors students at this event was a helpful reminder that constant productivity is not what determines your value as a person, but rather that your life is given value by the time you spend with others, simply passing the time together, talking and laughing with one another. Self-care can take the form of doing your work in the presence of others doing theirs so that you do not feel alone and stressed. It can also be getting your homework done so you have more time for rest and relaxation later on.