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Treat yourself.

As a Psychology student, it’s not surprising that one of the podcasts I’m subscribed to is the podcast produced by the American Psychological Association. was particularly interesting in that it not only spoke about the benefits of holidays for one’s mental and physical health but highlighted the benefits of a crafted staycation almost with these two being my top takeaways from the episode:

• Not taking annual vacations was significantly associated with a higher risk for morbidity and even mortality due to heart attacks, and
• Health benefits have come from short breaks too – when we engage in gardening, when we engage in hobbies over the weekend, these things also seem to have the same benefits in reducing our blood pressure and reducing our stress hormones.

How could an HDR student reap the benefits of a holiday without paying for flights and accommodation? Firstly, switch off work emails and work notifications for the weekend. Next, depending on your inclinations, plan a fun-filled and/or pamper-filled Saturday with your friends, and then craft your Sunday to be slow and relaxing so you can really get that much-needed break before Monday rolls in again.

Compelled by this podcast and after writing the first draft of my thesis, and following the behests of my friends and family, I finally allowed myself a weekend’s micro-holiday. This was the first weekend in over four years that I was not working and/or doing unpaid care work! My computer was switched off the entire time and I made sure work notifications were disabled on my phone. We went dancing, and enjoyed long, indulgent meals with friends talking about our past selves, imagining our future selves, and sharing stories about our children. We took long walks and paid attention to the mundane yet magical everyday things. We attended a concert and sang at the top of our lungs and held hands as we jumped and danced to the music. We watched football (FIFA) and celebrated how far we’ve come and challenged ourselves to keep progressing in the battles other women have fought before us. We stared at the wide, open ocean and talked about our fears, and realized we were never alone in them.

I sat quietly on my own at the end of the weekend, looking at my computer and the books all stacked around it. I couldn’t help but smile when it dawned on me how fortunate I was to feel this way – looking forward to the work because I have work worth doing. This microholiday didn’t just recharge me for the work ahead, it reminded me of the importance and the joy of my work.