For many students, the back-to-school season can evoke intense emotions and trepidation. A new school year brings tons of excitement, but most importantly, the opportunity to establish new routines early, including healthy sleep habits, to set you up for success. Regardless of age, these five tips will ensure that you are ready to tackle school and all the challenges it brings:
- As the year begins, remember this golden rule for success and well-being: prioritize yourself! The transition between summer and school can be taxing on students’ mental health. As you embark on this upcoming year, make sure to save time for you! How you choose to spend that time is totally up to you. Whether you want to go for a run or play a pickup game with your friends, find time away from screens and notebooks. As the school year takes shape, always keep this mantra in mind. As the workload increases, your own self-care only become increasingly important.
- Another crucial back-to-school tip for students of all ages is to create and maintain an up-to-date, organized calendar. Each Sunday, as you prepare for the week to come, outline your commitments for the following week. Write down class times and any extracurricular obligations. If you’re feeling particularly ambitious, you can create a month-long calendar, providing ample opportunity to plan for arduous assignments and countdown to future vacations. All students are guilty of some degree of procrastination. However, by keeping a calendar, you can get ahead of your obligations, which will in turn provide you with free time and sleep time!
- Once you’ve organized your week, dive deeper into the nitty-gritty with a to-do list – write down everything--tasks big and small. You can even include a time estimate so you know roughly how much time to allocate for each task. Try to include easily achievable activities so you can check them off. There is nothing more satisfying than checking boxes off an extensive to-do list. Add items that prioritize your well-being like “eat breakfast” or “use the treadmill.” That way, between your calculus calculations and essay compositions, you’ll still make time to do the things that allow you to thrive.
- After checking off box after box on your to-do list, your next task is acquiring or re-acquiring a healthy sleep schedule. Gone are the carefree days at the beach and late-night Stranger Things binge sessions. After those glorious and joyous summer months, it’s time to set your 7 a.m. alarm once more. With these earlier wakeups should come a more regular schedule and a healthy sleep cycle. Don’t wait until the night before school starts to fall back into a routine. Gradually perfect your schedule so it’s all ready when the first day rolls around. If you have trouble getting back on track, try Natrol melatonin gummies, a drug-free sleep aid that will help you fall asleep faster, and stay asleep longer.† All those cautionary tales your parents told you are true--sleep truly is the most important thing. With a solid 6-8+ hours of healthy sleep, you will feel refreshed and energized and ready to tackle that busy calendar and lengthy to-do list.
- Lastly, though it may be cliché, the new school year brings loads of new opportunities. Try something new! Capitalize on this and explore an area with which you’re not super familiar. This can take many, many forms. Maybe it’s trying a new sport or taking on a new hobby. Do something that takes you out of your comfort zone, and for all you know, it could become your new favorite pastime.
With these five tips, you are guaranteed to start the year off strong. Though the end of the summer is often bittersweet, this new school year will bring new adventures and cherished memories. Embrace it!
