By Jennifer Spurr, Psy.D.
It’s back to school season… time to stock up on all those school supplies.
Pencils? Check!
Notebooks? Check!
Healthy lunches? Check!
But did you know that the most important items required for a busy and successful school year are not things you can buy in a store?
1) Sleep: While our culture tends to push bedtimes back and move morning alarms up, sleep is something that we cannot afford to skimp on at any age. Our bodies and minds reap multiple benefits during our sleeping hours… benefits that are required for success at school – and in life. For many people, having a bedtime routine, or practicing “good sleep hygiene” is a helpful practice to get those hours of shut eye started. This includes doing your best to go to bed at the same time each night; limiting screen time at least an hour before bed; and sleeping in a location that is safe and comfortable for your body.
If you find that you repeatedly can’t shut your mind off at night allowing yourself to let go and sleep, or conversely, if you wake up in the early morning hours with your heart racing and mind churning, then it is time to talk to your medical provider or a mental health professional to determine what is undermining your rest and stealing those precious hours in dreamland.
2) Movement: Think of this as recess for your body and soul! While exercise can be as unwelcome as a pile of homework, if we think outside the gym, movement can encompass any number of fun and welcome activities from walking outside to dancing to riding a bike to cleaning the house. The key is to just get moving because the reality is that just as our bodies require rest, they also require movement.
We all know that exercise is good for the heart, lungs, and building muscles… but did you know that exercise also has the potential to reduce depression and anxiety and help reduce the risk of memory loss? For students and workers alike who spend hours in a stationary position, exercise gets the blood pumping and helps us to regain focus.
It also helps with sleep!
3) Mindset: It’s been said that whether you think you can… or think you can’t… you’re right. Entering any new endeavor, whether the start of a new school year, a new relationship, a new job, or even a new day, requires that our minds are open to learning new things and acquiring new habits. Our mindset is a powerful tool for overcoming new challenges and learning in the process.
This said, we all have times when despite our best efforts, we just can’t shake feelings of anxiety or sadness making it hard to move our focus from our internal worries and emotional state to the external activities that require our attention. When this happens and our thoughts and feelings are keeping us from accomplishing our daily tasks and reaching our goals, it may be time to reach out to a professional to find the help and support that we need.
The beginning of the school year is the perfect time to reassess our supplies and be sure that we have all we need for success—whether it be a new pencil—or a time to sleep, a time to move, and a mindset that allows us to engage in all that this new season has to offer. May you find wellness in the journey.