Hey internet people! Today I took a two hour British Studies exam. Maybe that’s not the biggest accomplishment in the world, but it’s nice to put one more thing behind me in the massive list of things I have to worry about as we suddenly go speeding towards the end of the semester. But I’m not here to talk about exams, because really, who wants to do THAT? Instead I’m here to talk about the importance of taking some time OFF.

I know I talk about how much I procrastinate, so that it seems like I’m always taking the day off. But you know how it is–time spent procrastinating is not really all that relaxing. You spend most of the time worrying about what you really should be doing while still not feeling like actually doing it. What’s good about that? Nothing, I tell you.

But tonight, I took the night off. I told myself “Not a single thing shall be done tonight.” Yes, there are a lot of things I need to do, but I know I’ll get them done eventually, and I know I’ll get them done right. But today, I took an exam and then I sat myself down with a few of my closest friends and ordered take out (mmm Chinese food) and watched Easy A. Was it productive? No. But it felt amazing.

And after that? I came back to my room and listened to music, having my own mini-concert and singing along. There’s something wonderful about belting it out to an empty room, knowing no one but you can hear the words you’re singing.

And did I do some work then? No! Then I went to the school bonfire with my friends, and ate a s’more made with chocolate digestives (which was actually pretty awesome).

So no. I didn’t write my essays. I didn’t finish my powerpoint. I didn’t do anything. But at the same time, I took care of myself. I feel a lot less stressed and a lot more capable of taking on that giant to-do list. So I guess the moral of the story is not only is Chinese food delicious and Easy A is a great movie, but sometimes taking a day off is the best thing to do.

(Does writing this blog post count as productive? I’m not sure… but I enjoy it, so we’ll let it slide.)