Summer Vacation!

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            Wait – what am I going to do for 3 months?

It is that time of year when most students don’t have anything to do for about 3 months. We have been working all year long to get the grades we want and now it is time for a break. Around May and June, we tell ourselves that we can’t wait for school to be over, but what is coming next? Have you thought about what you are going to do all summer? Were those jokes about sleeping all day long with breaks in-between for food and the restroom your actual plan? Or were you looking for something else to do in between? We've got you covered! 

In my experience, I have had those days where all I did was sleep and eat, but I couldn’t handle it for more than that; I had to go outside and do something. The first thing (and probably most easy thing to do) I did was taking a walk outside. Not only did I manage to breathe fresh air, but also I bumped into a friend along the way. Walking and doing other physical activity is a great way to spend your summer vacation. The Mayo Clinic gives us 7 benefits of regular physical activity. You can take a look at them here:  http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/exercise/HQ01676.

After I bumped into my friend, we ended up hanging out and going to a movie. Believe it or not, being social is healthy for you as well. Just take a look at what the Mayo Clinic has to say about it:  http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/social-support/SR00033. It doesn’t matter if you’re with a friend, sister, mentor, etc.; as long as you are being social with others, that’s all that counts.

Bumping into my friend was good for me at the moment because I was feeling a bit tired from my job. This brings me to my next suggestion. Have you tried considering getting a summer job/internship/volunteer position? Try it! I have done all three and though not all were great, I definitely learned what my interests were – I also made friends and great memories in the process!
Check out your local community center or school campus for information pertaining to getting a job/internship/volunteer position. If none are local, try asking a trusted adult or good friend if they know of anything out there where you can help.

After my friend and I said goodnight, I came home, ate supper, and curled up to a good book. Finding hobbies such as reading can be very relaxing. It took me a while to figure out that I enjoy reading, but once I knew, I was thrilled. Is there something you like doing (e.g., hiking, paintings, canoeing, singing)? If not, ask what other people’s interests are and see if you can join in. Check out some of the interesting things people are posting on YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/) - you may have to filter through the crazy. And be warned you may be sucked in for hours!

And I am not like most people, but over the summer I also ended up making tons of lists. These lists mainly consisted of my plans for the upcoming year, etc. Using the summer to plan what you are going to do after summer can, at least for me, feel kind of stress relieving because I feel a little bit more prepared and less worried about what will happen. What are your goals? What do you want to try? Where do you want to go?

However, every person is different, and these were just a few things that made me happy over summer. If you end up not doing any of these things, it doesn’t mean that you won’t have a fun summer. Do whatever makes you happy! 

Call or chat (M,T,Th) Teen Link anytime between 6pm and 10pm if anything comes up this summer that you want to talk about. Our number is 1-866-TEENLINK or 1-866-833-6546. We are open 7 days a week and are more than happy to talk with you! Enjoy your summer!