Taking Care of Yourself in a New School Year

Whether you are starting a new semester in school, your children are going into the next grade or you are looking for a refresh after summer here are a few tips to start the next chapter on the right foot.

• Start small: creating a new routine takes time. You (or your children) will not be a new person on the first day of school. Start by reflecting on what you would like your routine to look like. Pick one small piece to start with and add it to your already existing routine. For example: If you want to add gratitude journaling to your daily routine, combine this new task with an already existing part of your routine. Do you have a cup of coffee every morning? Take a few extra minutes to enjoy your coffee and add in some gratitude journaling before, during, or after. Once you have mastered one part of your routine for a few weeks, start taking it step by step and adding more. You can start adding new parts to your routine at any time in the year! Remember, you might not be able to maintain your routine every single day, don’t let this make you feel like a failure, allow yourself grace and space for life to happen. Start your routine right back up the next day!

• Get Sleep: Sleep is a basic need, no ifs, and, or buts about it. Sleep needs to be a top priority. This can be hard and it might mean that you will need to take some tasks off of your plate in order to get the sleep that you need. Good sleep hygiene is essential for getting good sleep.

  • Read a book, magazine, comic book, etc, before bed instead of looking at a screen.

  • Avoid napping

  • Have a regular bedtime routine including having a soothing drink like chamomile tea, including a deep breathing exercise, taking care of your personal hygiene, going to bed at the same time, and waking up at the same time.

  • Avoid alcohol. Avoid caffeine late in the day.

  • Exercise throughout the day.

  • Make your bedroom an enjoyable place to be:

    • Only use your bed/bedroom for sleeping

    • Use a sound machine- especially if your living environment is noisy.

    • Use essential oils like lavender

    • Make sure your bed is comfortable

  • Remember to take small steps to build a healthy sleep routine.

• Get Rest: Rest can include sleep but it also has many other forms of taking care of yourself both mentally and physically. In the first few weeks of a new school year, you’re going to be tired, give yourself grace and space to get the rest that is essential to your well-being. For more ideas on what you can do to get rest, check this article out: The 7-Types of Rest that Every Person Needs

• Take Care: Taking care of yourself sounds counter-intuitive but most of us lose sight of what we actually like to do and what makes us feel whole again. While Self-Care has become a buzzword in recent years, taking a deeper look into what your soul needs is a top priority all year but especially when getting back into a busy season.

  • Start by asking yourself: What makes me feel more energized, more complete after I engage in that activity?

    • Create a list, almost like a menu of activities that make you feel this way.

    • Always be adding and updating the list

    • If a tried and true activity stops working, reassess your needs and whether that activity deserves to stay on the menu.

    • Add a variety of activities that fuel you physically, mentally, professionally, spiritually, and emotionally.

    • Add a variety of activities that require various levels of time and energy. Sometimes you might have a whole day to devote to self-care, and sometimes you might only have 5 minutes.

• Say No: Say no to things that don’t serve you. You only have 100%, you can’t give 100% to everything in your life, choose where, how, and to who you want to give that precious energy.