Between work, school, and everything else that stresses out our lives, you deserve a break, a fall break. One may imagine that all the hard work they put into their stressful lives will be paid off in the form of a scholarship or possibly a job. That’s true, but it’s also important to appreciate the smaller rewards that come with your efforts, such as every second of every break you should take to relax, destress and cool off for these future autumn nights.

You deserve a break. The practice or shift ends at 7:00 p.m., so let’s say you get home at 7:15 p.m. Parents arrive soon after, and you feel crushed with homework that your job or sport takes time away from. You just want to be comfortable, but you’re back is killing you. Draw a bath. Put on that obscure shoegaze band your hipster friend always recommends. You step in, and the water is near scalding, but your physical and mental stress is washed away. Now it’s 9:00, and you likely won’t have a full eight hours of sleep, so you might as well make your remaining hours as cozy as possible before then. If you’re in your room, light a scented candle and continue reading your modern-romantic novel or go on a nostalgic binge watch of cartoons you saw as a kid, or even a Bob Ross-athon.

You deserve a break. Think back to the work you’ve accomplished throughout the week rather than what you have to do the week after. For those who say they did nothing this week, you’re wrong. You made it through another week- that’s what you did. It’ll help you make it through another if you take walks on your time off. Do you not have a dog to walk or run with? If not, grab a ball of yarn, go on the back porch and see if your cat plays with it like the stereotype claims. Does weightlifting help you clear your mind? You may not feel like going to the gym, so stay at home and do warm-ups. It’s not like there’s a teacher around to keep you from your hard-earned time off.

You deserve a break. Drink every single caramel macchiato in the fridge. Go on a road trip with your closest buds. Remember to bring blankets and pillows for the adventure ahead. Go to bonfires, or host one yourself. If you do, check if you have the ingredients for s’mores. It may be fall, but it’s not cold out. It’s just a little chilly, so chill.

You deserve to be happy. I would recommend any of those activities to make sure your freetime is well spent, but use your imagination, if you want. This is your time. The paths to relaxation are endless, so I’m sure you’ll go down whichever one suits you.