Back-to-School Stress Isn't Just for Kids: 5 Tips to Ease the Transition
I’m writing this in mid-September, as many people are adjusting to back-to-school routines - whether it be parents sending their kids back off to school, faculty members and university staff getting thrown into the throes of a new academic year, and graduate students gearing up for another semester.
It’s a tough time of year - folks are grieving the loss of the freedom of summer, at a time when the next holiday is months away, and they’re facing an increase in responsibilities and obligations.
Mental-health wise, this can lead to increases in stress, depression, anxiety, and overall levels of distress. It’s no wonder that when I worked in college counseling, September and October were by far our busiest months.
It can feel like the only solution is to just accept that not all of life is sunshine and roses, and that there are periods of the year that inherently have more responsibility and obligation attached to them. And while this is true to some extent - it’s not possible to be on vacation all year round - there are ways to make these particular times less overwhelming and more easeful.
While the end of summer might always come with a bit of sadness, it also doesn’t have to be paired with dread and an overarching sense of doom.
How to Make the Back-to-School Transition Less Stressful
Here are my favorite strategies for making the transition from summer back to school a less stressful one:
Gradually transition your sleep schedule.
I remember as a kid how great it felt when summer came and I could both stay up later and sleep in later. And I also remember how miserable it felt that first week back to school when I had to start waking up earlier again. Our bodies aren’t actually meant to switch sleep and wake times like that, and the best thing to do, if possible, is to actually go to bed at the same time each night, and wake up the same time each morning, regardless of time of year.
However, if that’s not realistic, you can minimize the impact by gradually shifting back towards your sleep / wake times for the school year. For example, if you’ve been getting up at 8:00am over the summer, and you have to get up at 6:30am during the school year, then during the month before (or at least the week before), start gradually bumping up your wake up time by 10 to 15 minute increments.
Schedule in a few days off or mini vacations between August and November.
Vacation itself is wonderful, but a lot of the benefits of vacation actually come from the anticipation - having something to look forward to, to plan for, to be excited about. And this doesn’t have to be complicated, expensive, or fancy. If you’re a homebody, it could be taking a day at home to yourself to literally do whatever you want. Or if you’re someone who likes to travel, it could be an overnight trip in a nearby area. The point is to pick something that you’ll enjoy and be able to look forward to.
Schedule non-negotiable time for self-care.
If every single moment of your day is filled with responsibilities and obligations, it’s a surefire way to feel stressed. So find small ways each week (each day if possible) to find time for yourself that’s non-negotiable. This could be 30 minutes to read a good book or go for a walk, 10 minutes of silence where you’re completely disconnected from everything, playing a game with your partner or spouse in the evening, or taking your dog to the dog park.
And mark that time off in your calendar as non-negotiable - even if it’s a public calendar. No one is entitled to know every detail of your day, so if it’s a work calendar that your boss and colleagues have access to, then mark that time as “personal appointment” or “do not schedule” so that others respect that time as well.
Don’t get swept up into others’ sense of urgency.
When everyone’s stressed and overwhelmed, it can set up an environment where everything starts to be treated as an emergency, even when it’s really not. While all work is important, I like to gently remind folks that unless you’re a medical doctor or first responder, most situations (particularly in academia) aren’t actual emergencies, even when others are communicating otherwise. Practice pausing and slowing down when you notice urgency around you, so that you can take the time to decide how to respond in those types of situations.
Re-evaluate your schedule.
Sometimes when I have folks walk me through the details of their schedule, it becomes apparent to me right off the bat that their daily routine isn’t sustainable. If you’re immediately jumping from one thing to another, having back-to-back activities constantly, then you’ve set up a routine for yourself that just wouldn’t be sustainable for anyone. In those cases, there’s not always a quick or easy fix, but it's an important step just to acknowledge that something likely needs to change eventually, and it gives you room to start brainstorming what that might look like.
If the back-to-school transition has been harder for you than you were expecting, and you’re looking for the help of a therapist, please don’t hesitate to reach out.
Hi, I’m Amanda. I’m a psychologist in Bloomington, Indiana providing counseling and therapy services to analytical professionals who are questioning their life choices. Please reach out if you have any questions or would like to schedule an appointment.
