With the hustle and bustle, constant due dates and campus activities of the school year, summer break can feel like a real bummer. It’s full of work, summer classes and not enough time with your friends. 

Between these hours, it’s easy to hop online and start doomscrooling. But the negative impacts of this are extensive. Not only is it a waste of time, but according to this Harvard study,  doomscrolling also negatively affects your sleep, mental health and overall self-image.

Social media is seen as a stress reliever and a break from reality. But Dr. Aditi Nerurkar, public health expert at Harvard Medical School, disagrees. 

“Stress stokes our primary urge to scroll,” Nerurkar said. “The more you scroll, the more you feel you need to.”

Here are some ideas to combat the doomscrolling urge.

Attend a courthouse hearing

Most courthouse hearings are open to the public. Although they can be lengthy, they are also interesting. Don’t expect it to be as fast-paced as your favorite TV drama; it’s recommended that you bring a secondary activity to pass the time if needed.

Be sure to thoroughly read through the rules and regulations before attending a hearing.

Information can be found here.

Start a newsletter about a topic you’re interested in

Everyone has a niche they are fascinated with. It could be a sports team, a K-pop group, revolutionary war history, or folklore. 

Use that knowledge to create a newsletter. 

If you haven’t found your niche, make a newsletter about yourself to send to friends and family.

Macy Carmichael, a junior in psychology, started her own newsletter this past April and found it to be a great way to reflect on and appreciate her month.

“My main goal with this newsletter was to learn to be a little bit more creative,” Carmichael said. “I wanted to use this as an opportunity to reflect on the stuff I’ve done, from the big things that happen in the month to the more mundane things that happen that month.”

She uses Canva to make her newsletter and finds so much room for creativity with each new letter.

Carmichael was happy to receive overwhelming support from her friends and family. 

“One of my friends said, ‘I just love it because it just feels like a huge digital scrapbook,’” Carmichael said. “I think that is just a beautiful way to put it.”

Carmichael mentioned that it’s important not to put pressure on yourself, but just to have fun and do it for your own enjoyment.

“I would totally recommend other people making newsletters,” Carmichael said. “I feel like it’s a good way to keep people updated on my life, even if I’m not talking to them every single day.”

Visit a campus museum

Iowa State has a multitude of museums featuring Iowa State and Ames history, as well as art exhibits.

Right now, there is a campus art walk series going on. According to the University Museum’s website, “Art Walks are a regular event series highlighting the University Museums’ Art on Campus Collection, offering audiences the opportunity to explore the breadth of public art across Iowa State University’s campus.”

They are free and open to the public.

Flower Pressing

If you keep fresh cut flowers on your counter or grow flowers in your garden, consider pressing them into paper. This will preserve them and could make decorations for your home or gifts for others.

There are various tutorials online to learn how.

Rail Explorers

If you’re willing to spend some money, Rail Explorers in Boone is a fantastic way to get outside and spend a couple of hours. Inside a railbike, you’ll see gorgeous scenery while pedaling along an unused railroad track. 

For more information, go here.

Read

Although this is cliché, there is a good reason for it. Reading takes you new places, shows you new perspectives, and it’s great for your brain.

Find books set in Ames or your hometown. It’s always fun to recognize the places written about in the book.

The Ames Public Library has 113 books written by Ames authors and about Ames’ history. 

The link to the Ames Public Library is here.

Get outside

Lay out in the sun, go mini golfing, or visit the public pool. 

Stephanie Major is a grad student pursuing her master’s in animal science. In addition to spending time in the meat laboratory on campus, she enjoys hiking and taking her dogs for walks.

“Summer versus fall is definitely a completely different town,” Major said. “I usually try to hit up farmer’s markets on weekends and the different live music concert series they have going on.”

Clean out your closet

You know you need to. 

There is nothing better than getting rid of things that just aren’t you anymore. When you declutter your closet, it combats the “I’ve got nothing to wear” feeling because everything in there says you.

While you’re decluttering, find new spaces around your home that might need some TLC, too.

Ames Farmers’ Market

Every Saturday from 8 a.m to 12:30 p.m, the Ames Farmers’ Market brings all types of vendors to Main Street.There’s food, music, crafts, clothing, gifts and produce. Truly something for everyone. 

Skip your Saturday sleep-in and head downtown Ames on Saturdays!

Become good at identifying stars and constellations

Imagine it’s dark out; you and your friends find each other, look up at the night sky, and you start pointing out constellations left and right, impressing them with knowledge beyond the Big Dipper. 

Also, when they think a particularly bright star is a planet, you can be there to assure them it’s not.

Start a new hobby

Well, duh, obviously. This is easier said than done. It’s hard to commit to a new hobby when you’ve never tried it before. Maybe you won’t like it. Plus, it often gets pricey. 

Here are some cheaper ideas to try.

• Become a master at Chess or any board/card game. Look up all the tips and tricks to win every time.
• Paint outside rocks and leave them in places. There are rock beds all over town; spruce them up (or your own). Paint and brushes are relatively cheap and last a long time.
• Night Hiking. Hiking, but at night. Could be cool or scary, depending on what kind of person you are
• Still-life sketching. Stretch out and draw what you see. All you need is a pen and paper.
• Nature photography. Nature is everywhere; capture it.
• Paper mache. All you need is flour, water, salt and a mold.

Become a history buff. 

Pick an oddly specific time period or world event and get cracking. Almost all history has hours and hours of information.

Spend your time getting ahead on your future 

Do research on grad school options or what requirements you need for your dream job. If you don’t know what you want with your degree, hop online and search for jobs that fit your interests and strengths. Spend time speaking with adults, asking how they chose their careers and whether they have insight into making those decisions.

The ideas are truly endless. Grab a friend or force your sibling to join you. 

Whichever you decide to try first, you’re sure to learn something new about yourself.