Hedonic happiness might not be as sexy as it sounds—especially at a moment like this. We’re all coming back from a week of hedonism; JMM too. That doesn’t mean everyone spent the last week being ridiculously naughty, though, systematically indulging in every Spring Break stereotype like they were items to be crossed off on a college bucket list. That was just Pilcher.
Instead, it means that we all spent a week untethered from our daily routine. We went after short-term pleasures: sleeping in; eating good food; talking with friends and family; generally living a bit of the best life regardless of whether it was in Daytona Beach or Downers Grove. We all grabbed a bit of hedonic happiness and gave it a much-needed bear hug.
And that’s important. Spring Break gives students a chance to mentally decompress. It reduces stress and anxiety. It can decrease levels of depression. And, unsurprisingly, it can increase your overall mood. Taking a vacation is so good at cleansing the soul it has been shown to have similar impacts as meditation (though that might be as much of an endorsement for meditating as it is holiday in Aruba). Spring Break can even improve your physical health and productivity. And that all makes sense because we’re engaging in pleasurable activities, which is 100 percent brain candy and makes us giddy—science says so.
Which is all great—until all that stress comes rushing back in. Returning to your normal routine after a vacation can be a full-on body tackle of tension and anxiety, way worse than our typical bout of weekly Monday Syndrome. Post-vacation depression can be very real and very disruptive. Suddenly we go from living fast and free to worrying about tests, deadlines, and mounds of emails. It can result in irritability, bad sleep, and general unease. What’s worse, it can last up to two weeks, making you wonder if those seven days doing body shots were worth it. (Answer: yes.)
But there are some things you can do to ease the transition. You can lean into some of your normal stress relievers. Exercise of any kind is great at squashing stress and anxiety. Make prioritized lists so you don’t tackle too much at once—and because your brain loves order. And check in with your friends about their time off if only because this 2019 study from the journal PLOS ONE showed that a little conversation has a big impact on our stress levels and happiness (plus, you like your friends—well, except Chad).
Whatever you do, though, don’t procrastinate. That can actually increase your stress levels long term, adding extra Lego bricks to your already growing wall of angst. Instead, take baby steps. Do a little bit every day. You don’t have to finish things right away; getting started is the important part. And eventually, you’ll start crossing things off that to-do list you made earlier—something we all know is truly satisfying.
OK, JMM’ers, now on with the memo!
Get In My Belly
If you know how to work a DSLR and have a spare 10 minutes, junior Liv Klassen (Mags) needs your help. The Office of Residence Life, which, as a resident assistant Klassen technically works for, is having an event on Sunday, April 16th from 11-1. Yeah, it’s a way off, but pre-planning is always good. Especially because they need two photographers to work for about 10 minutes at the beginning of the event in Levitt Hall. Klassen says, “while we cannot pay you in money, we CAN pay you in food from the event.” JMM will point out this is the high-end, special-occasion-only Sodexo good stuff, so it’s totally worth it. If you have any questions, email Klassen at liv.klassen@drake.edu.
Freeze Frame
Getting a little event photography under your belt will also be nice prep for your summer photography fellowship. 80/35, Des Moines’s summer music festival, is offering five photography fellowships, as well as one social media fellowship, for folks 16-21 years old. You’ll get in-person training, a mentor to guide you, opportunities to cover concerts before the big event, and then a chance to work the festival July 7-8 alongside the 80/35 photo and social teams. And considering this year’s line-up, which includes JMM favs War on Drugs, Sudan Archives, and Elizabeth Moen, you’ll have plenty of rock god moments to capture. Applications are due April 4. If you have questions, you can reach out to Alyssa Leicht, 80/35’s Director of Photography, at alyssa@alyssaleicht.com.
Machine Learning
SEO is the backbone of all things web, which is why the JMM-fave International Center for Journalists is hosting a free webinar “The Algorithm: Learn How to Feed the Beast.” SEO expert Adriana Peña will walk participants through the latest insights into the various algorithms that make our searches and feeds full of exactly what we want and need. Just know you will have to wake up early for this one. It begins promptly at 8 a.m. on March 28. Register here.
Supreme Insight
When the Supreme Court ruled on Dobbs V Jackson Women’s Health Organization last year, overturning 50 years of Roe V Wade precedent and returning oversight of abortion to the states, it changed the fabric of the country. Suddenly accessing abortion care became a political and logistical nightmare for people.
ProPublica has been covering all of these changes with a series that digs into what America is like in a Post-Roe world. With dozens of states contemplating new abortion legislation while others, including Iowa, sue over access to abortion medication, covering the issue is like running through shifting sands. ProPublica’s senior editor Ziva Branstetter will talk with the organization’s reporters on how they keep their footing in such complicated times in a free virtual webinar this Tues., March 21, 3-4:15 p.m. Register here.
Want to be a bit of a clatterfart with JMM?
Do you have some essential info or maybe you just published your first online story for Travel & Leisure magazine like senior Cassidy Grubisic (Hist, Mags)? If you do, send them on over to jeff.inman@drake.edu. JMM will treat it like this great Times-Delphic profile of our beloved Denise Ganpat by sophomore Luke Clausen (MMJ, Mags) and tell everyone about it. And, of course, you will get all the credit.
Finally, JMM has a new favorite word.