Find Your Fun Stress Reliefs to Avoid Falling Into a 9-to-5 Habit

July 17, 2019 Josi Lieb

Washington, D.C. intern stress relief

Taking an hour or so to get out, get a little alone time and explore all Washington, D.C. has to offer can be an extremely beneficial stress relief.

It’s important to make the most of your opportunity here and avoid falling into a rut. For a lot of us, Washington, D.C. has a lot to offer that our hometowns do not. We are only here for ten to fifteen weeks as interns and that does not give us a lot of time to do all of the exploring we’d like along with our work responsibilities.

Just because I am in the city for the summer does not mean that there won’t be stressful times. While in Washington, D.C., it has been my goal to do more than go to my internship and back to my apartment to remain locked within the white walls of my apartment the majority of the time. Getting out to explore is important because living in an apartment with three roommates, no matter if it is a corner apartment (those are a bit bigger than the other apartments at the RAF) or not, can feel a little bit crowded at times. This is even true if you adore your roommates, as I do.

While in Washington, D.C., it has been my goal to do more than go to my internship and back to my apartment.

Josi Lieb

Taking an hour or so to get out and get a little alone time is an extremely beneficial stress relief. For my alone time during the week, I have found a couple places that allow me to feel completely relaxed.

One of those places is a local coffee shop called Ebenezer’s. This coffee shop is a wonderful place for me to go in the mornings to bring energy to my mentally-still-in-bed body. On my way home from my internship, I also love going to read and getting more coffee.The Iced Vanilla Rose Latte is my favorite drink they have on their menu.

Another place I love to go is a bookstore within a comfortable walking distance of the RAF, Solid State Books. This bookstore is absolutely amazing. It is open until 10 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays. The best part is, Fridays and Saturdays, they are open until midnight! There is also a cafe there in the bookstore.

The Smithsonian Visitor Center, located on the National Mall.

Lastly, the Smithsonian Museums are open extended hours during the summer. As a history major, I could spend hours exploring them. Going there for a little bit after my internship is another way to make the most of my time and experience all the city has to offer during the weekdays. Back home, I don’t have access to spectacular exhibits like those the various Smithsonian museums offer its visitors.

If you spend all of your time either locked inside of your apartment or at your internship, this experience is not going to feel as spectacular as it should. We have this amazing opportunity to work, network, explore and live in Washington, D.C. for just a few short months. Unless you attend graduate school or get a career in this city after graduation, this is the only opportunity you have to get out and take it all in.

It is important to try and make the most out of these weeks and this program.

About the Author

Josi is a student at Ohio Northern University where she is studying History and Political Science. In Summer 2019, Josi interned at The Lincoln Archives Digital Project, a public service project dedicated to digitizing the federal records of the Lincoln Administration.
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Find Your Fun Stress Reliefs to Avoid Falling Into a 9-to-5 Habit

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