Back to School!
Going back to school can be tough, especially after a long summer break. You might be stressed about meeting new teachers, nervous to see your friends, or struggling to get back into a routine. Taking the time to readjust properly and look out for your wellbeing can help you manage exhaustion and avoid burnout early on in the term.
So, what can we do to make the transition back to school easier?
One of the golden rules of adjusting to change is taking extra good care of ourselves. When there's so much going on in daily life, it helps to have a solid routine. You can build a healthy routine by:
- creating a relaxing bedtime environment and getting a good night's sleep
- eating healthily throughout the day to keep you feeling energised
- drinking enough water so you stay hydrated and focused
- exercising before or after school
- planning when you’ll focus on school work and when you’ll have some down time or hang with friends and family
If you’re feeling sad or nervous about heading back to school, it can help to have something fun or calming planned each week for the first month or so. This could look like:
- organising to catch up with friends outside of school
- checking in with your favourite teachers and sharing your holiday memories
- host a board game or movie night at home with your family.
If back to school stress is impacting your mental health, consider reaching out to a trusted adult or book in time to chat with your school counsellor.
Remember that change takes time! If you're finding it hard, you’re not alone and we’re here to support you.
Find more information about burnout, prioritising your time, and app suggestions you might need when returning to school.
What are some of the ways you’re planning to readjust and look after your wellbeing as you head back to school?
Comments
Hi @Bel_RO,
This is such an insightful post! 👏
I believe it's important to be kind to ourselves as we transition back into our studies. I always found it helpful to have things I can turn to, such as a reading or puzzle book, in my bag if I found myself feeling overwhelmed at school.
I also found it beneficial to be organised, from having all of the relevant stationary to knowing the homework and assignment due dates ahead. I usually spent each Sunday evening planning everything out in my diary.
Either way, each person will have a unique way of approaching their studies and taking care of themselves when the school period kicks back up, so I look forward to reading each person's post!
I wish all the best in the coming months for each student across the ReachOut forums. You've got this! 💛
Such a fab post @Bel_RO !
During school I often felt rushed in the morning and wouldn't make the time to pack a filling, healthy lunch. This meant that some days I would be feeling hungry at school and feel tired in the afternoon. I think for everyone heading into the school year, it is soooo important to make sure you have a yummy, filling lunch!!!
Best of luck everyone!
Fantastic post with some awesome tips!! @Bel_RO
I definitely needed some of these when I was in high school. I think it's really important to take things slow whe transitioning back into school. As much as we all go through or have gone through the same Sunday night dread before the first day of the year, everyone's health and organisation is different, and it might take you longer to adjust back into school than someone else.
I always try and remember that my friends are right there with me! And as important as your education and studies are, there's no use trying to learn if your head isn't in the right headspace to begin with. I think trying to have a non-strict plan (I emphasise non-strict because making yourself do something rarely lasts), that can be fluid and is able to chang according to your schedule.
Good luck to everyone going back this week! I'll be feeling your stress at the end of Feb when I got back to Uni!
Hi @Bel_RO great post!
I plan on focusing A LOT more on my work/life balance this year and being more organised, such as doing tasks ASAP rather than procrastinating and stopping study after 6pm so I can have some downtime before bed 🙂
Such an important post, especially with it being so close to back-to-school time!
I remember in high school, going into the new year was always hard and a little difficult when it came to new classes and worrying about grades, I started implementing some small strategies to focus on myself and create a time in my busy schedule to do so.
After school was always tiring after long hours of learning you sometimes don't feel up to doing big tasks. One thing that I found helped was doing word searches or mind puzzles. They helped me feel like I was productive and even helped expand my vocabulary. Taking 30 minutes of my time after school to just centre myself but also keep my mind busy, which helped me focus and feel ready to tackle homework and assignments.
Sometimes a small task during downtime can help us regather focus and prepare. What's an activity you did/do after school to help you unwind ❓
Hey @Bel_RO - Such a brilliant and relevant post idea!! So useful for any stage in our life - whether it be school, university, or our jobs!
For me, heading back to university, readjustment looks like lots of chill planning and reading! I make sure that I’ve enrolled in all my subjects, have the right resources (books, diaries, extra readings/papers), and know (generally) what my timetable and assessment due dates are! Pretty similar to @Rara .
To make sure my mental health and wellbeing are pretty good, and I’m not super stressed or anxious, I like to plan when I would meet up with friends during each week, go for runs, and turn off my phone an hour before bed! 😃
It’s so important to look after ourselves to prevent burnout - how does everyone else plan to readjust and look after their wellbeing before school starts?
Hi @Bel_RO
This is a great post and wish I implemented more of those strategies when I was at school but implement them more now at uni.
Something I always did and still did was make sure I was super organised. Had more books than what I was required to ensure I didn't stress about not having supplies on the first day. I also took the first week to familiarise myself with where the classes especially if it was an area part of the school I didn't know.
During the first couple of weeks, I would always try to plan downtime as well on the weekend, whether it was catching up with friends, playing sports or just spending the days watching movies to help me get out any nervous energy or relax after having to adjust going back to school.
