Curbing the back - to - school anxiety
Written by: Ashlyn Rost, LPC
Parents and guardians - It’s that time of year again! Time to wrap up summer activities and get back into the swing of a school schedule. If your summer looked anything like mine, you may be a tad off schedule, and sleeping in a little later than usual, specifically later than you’ll be able to when getting kids ready for school. So where do we all go from here?
The sooner you can start implementing changes, the more gradual of a process it can be. Specifically, SMART goals are a great tool to use. It’s an acronym to create goals that are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time Oriented. Instead of a goal like “I want to wake up earlier this week” that could easily be dismissed, making a goal like “This week, I’m going to set an alarm to wake up 15 minutes earlier each morning” is something you can measure and achieve. Start with identifying what changes you need to make over the next few weeks. Is it a need to wake up earlier? Is it a need to recreate a more consistent bedtime routine? Is it a need to update the way you use the calendar? From there, you can create goals that are SMART format, and build back up to the necessary schedule. Doesn’t that sound a lot more functional than waiting until the day before and trying to change 10 things at once?
Additionally, some things I know that I’m going to try to implement this year to create a smooth transition are: meal planning for lunches/dinners (potentially making some freezer meals for hectic nights), allotting extra time in the morning by waking up earlier (because life happens), and planning outfits the night before (while checking the weather to pull out all necessary coats/gear). These are things that work for my family, and it’ll be important to ask yourself what works best for yours? The start of a new school year is exciting and nerve-racking, but by starting to make changes now, the overall adjustment doesn’t have to feel as chaotic.
Lastly, you and your kids have got this and you’re doing great. Here’s to a new school year, and the hope that comes with the start of something new.
