This is not a slogan for a sports brand, but the motto for Radboud Wellbeing Weeks. Between 2 and 13 February, you can take part in a wide variety of activities, from smashing things (rage room), an old-fashioned gym class, a nature reset, origami session, sit & knit, jam session, offline night and, something that intrigues me immensely, something called “post office”. Choose what appeals to you (or break out of your comfort zone) and go!
View the entire programme here.
No time to press the pause button? I know the feeling. There is a lot to be done, written, thought up, organised, worked out, discussed, learned and achieved. But let's be honest, all of that is a lot easier when you feel fit, have energy and mental space. Without that, it can be a long wait for motivation and drive, let alone inspiration and creativity.
So play! Give yourself time and space to play every month, every week, every day: try a new sport, learn to fold a crane, have an old-fashioned chat with a friend, explore a new forest path, watch a cult film from the 90s, bake brownies for your neighbour who is suffering from burnout, immerse yourself in the fashion of the British aristocracy in the 18th century, try out a drawing programme, meditate every day for a week – things that take you out of your normal routine and give your body and mind time to rest or recover. Things that give your body and mind space to catch their breath and process impressions.
Do I deserve to “take a break and play”? That's the wrong question, in my opinion. In order to function well in your personal life, studies and work, it is essential that you feel good, or at least reasonably good, about yourself. I would say that creating space to play is not a luxury, but a necessity. The fact that your academic success may benefit from this is a bonus.
Incidentally, I think “student success” is a better starting point than academic success. And that's something you might want to think about: what makes your student life a “success”? There are many possible answers, which are by no means mutually exclusive:
- Getting high grades
- Graduating on time
- A large social network
- An impressive array of extracurricular activities on your CV
- Admiration from your fellow students and lecturers
- Good conversations with intellectual peers
- Combining high-level sport or music with your studies
- Combining caring for a child or family member with your studies
- Not worrying about the future and enjoying student life
- Enjoying the courses in your programme
- Realising that you can train your discipline and that you have actually developed a good study routine for yourself
- Discovering what is important to you in life
- Living on your own and doing everything independently (‘anyone looking for a jumper for their rabbit? This jumper was not allowed in the washing machine!’)
And you will probably think of more or different things yourself. Who knows, depending on the moment, you may change your mind. Whatever the case may be: performing, whatever definition and interpretation you want to give it, works best when you have space.
If you go to the “post office”, will you let me know how it was?
Tips
- For that cult film from the 90s, you might as well choose something you don't have to think too hard about. I'm thinking of The Big Lebowski, Pulp Fiction and O Brother Where Art Thou.
- Did you participate in Dry January? Well done! Read what there is/was to do at the RU and download the IkPas app if you've got the hang of it: Dry January 2026: Activities on campus | Radboud University
- Bring the Italian sun into your home and listen to an album by Paolo Conte while drinking cappuccino and nibbling on cantuccino. The latter are very easy to make yourself, by the way! Would you like my favourite recipe? Send an email to renee.muskens [at] ru.nl (renee[dot]muskens[at]ru[dot]nl)
