Nulis streso atgal į mokyklą

1 / Don’t worry, this worry is normal

“Any change is a source of stress and the start of the school year is a“ stressor ”all the more destabilizing as the stakes are high and varied. You have to adapt to a new balance, and as the cut-off for summer holidays is often longer than for other holidays, the rehabilitation time is also longer. It is necessary to organize the return of children (kindergarten, school, activities, timetable, etc.) and their own, go back to work and rethink professional goals, juggle family and personal imperatives. All in an electric atmosphere and the fear of not being up to this challenge, ”emphasizes Jane Turner, psychologist and DOJO manager. Back to school also marks the end of a fun period in the company of people we love and with whom we have chosen to be, hence a feeling of loss and nostalgic sadness. Season requires, the light and the sun of the summer will give way to the grayness of the autumn and your morale will decline too. The icing on the cake, the problems that were put on hold have not been erased and we will have to tackle them. In short, all this to say that it’s like that for everyone: back to school is tense!

2 / don’t idealize this moment

At the beginning of September, we feel the urge to start afresh on new bases. A vestige of our memories of back to school. Each year, we changed kits, binders, backpacks, programs, teachers, schedules and friends! Everything was new and it was exciting! Today, the deal is no longer the same and to the question “What does this new year have in store for me?” “, chances are the answer is “about the same as last year.” “At work, your colleagues will be the same at work, the coffee machine will be in the same place (there may be a new one for the lucky ones!) And your files will have to be completed with the same speed. Plan, if possible, a full day of freedom before returning to the office.

3 / Plan a physical activity… but only one!

Swedish walking, water aerobics, yoga, tai boxing, singing… It’s crazy how many classes you plan to register for. As we know, practicing physical activity is essential to be in good health and you are right to be swollen with good intentions. In addition to airing and recharging your batteries, moving helps relieve stress and release endorphins – nicknamed pleasure hormones – which facilitate sleep and well-being. But don’t have your eyes bigger than your muscles! Choose an activity, the one you like the most, the one that is practiced near you and not at the other end of the department, and tell yourself that it will be great if you manage to go there all year round. And if you don’t like sports, doing short trips on foot – rather than taking the car -, up and down stairs, walking can already be a good alternative.

4 / No regrets!

Remember, last year, you got off to a flying start with lots of amazing projects (the ascent of the north face of Mont-Blanc, the New York Marathon, a tidy apartment, an hour in the pool? per day, children going to bed at 20:30 pm sharp, one cultural outing per weekend…) and you have not managed to do a tenth of everything you had planned. “No need to try to repair the failures of the previous year, to remind you of all that has been left unanswered. Don’t regret anything, just let go of everything you should have done, ”advises Jane Turner.

5 / In case of tension, visualize yourself

Whenever you feel exasperation, visualize yourself taking a shower under a waterfall. Observe the cold or hot water, as you like, which gushes out and carries with it the crisis of the children, the derogatory remark of the boss, the squeaky exchange with your mother … You just have to let the time flow to that the brain is washed of its stress.

6 / Let go

The start of the school year is just a date in the calendar, and the Earth will not open up under your feet if everything is not ready on D-Day! Take your time, quietly put off until the next day what you don’t have time to do the same day. Set your priorities. Replace the “I must, I must…” with “I like, I want to…” Relax, you have a month to establish your cruising speed for the year.

7/ Positivez !

Take stock of your day each day and write down three things that you think are positive. This little daily exercise helps you focus on the finer things in life and relieve stress and anxiety. Remember that you have already overcome this ordeal. ” Back to school is a little shockwave, but it’s not the first time you’ve experienced it since it starts all over again every year. Remember that stress you experienced last year and years before… And that you managed! », Notes the psychologist.

8 / Keep good holiday habits

During the holidays, you took the time to live, you were relaxed… No need to resume bad habits under the pretext that it is back to school. Do not take out boots and other rain gear. Enjoy the beautiful days and weekends of the Indian summer which still have a summer flavor. Continue to give yourself pleasure breaks, pleasant little breaks, lunches on the terrace … When you get home, take a stroll, take a detour through the park or the shop windows. Order pizza or sushi on nights when you don’t feel like cooking. Take time for yourself: delegate certain activities to your partner, nanny or professionals. Shop online to avoid the endless lines at the checkout. 

9 / sort it out

Now is the perfect time to sort your closets and those of your children. Get rid of clothes that are too small, that you no longer wear and that take up too much space in the dressing room. Donate them to associations. Also sort through your administrative papers and keep only what is necessary.

10 / do not fall into self-deprecation

As soon as negative thoughts like “I’m never going to make it, I suck, Manon is going to hate me, I’m a bad mother, etc.” “ attack you, you ask immediately “But who am I comparing myself to?” Because the guilt of not being the perfect woman always arises from a comparison to other mothers who, for their part, do. Forget your mother (who criticizes your lack of practicality when she has nothing to look after), your sister (who buys school supplies in June for fear of not finding anything in September), Angelina Jolie who manages his six children masterfully (with the help of a whole staff, anyway!), don’t compare yourself to your girlfriend Marilyne who keeps going out every weekend (but who has no children!). Your situation has objectively nothing to do with theirs. Bar point.

11 / Materialize your schedule

As long as it stays in the head, everything seems playable. On the other hand, as soon as we put each other’s requirements in black and white, we realize that we should have the gift of ubiquity to keep all the commitments we have planned at the same time. Write a typical week in your schedule and the whole family, and see what it is materially possible to fit between all the constraints that you will have to manage. Don’t tell yourself a story, be realistic.

12 / establish priorities

To avoid being overwhelmed by stress as the start of the school year approaches, don’t put everything on the same level. Remember to separate what is urgent from what is not, what is essential from what is not. Set achievable goals. Practice the small step technique. Whatever goal you set for yourself, detail the different tasks you will need to accomplish to achieve your goals. And take it in stages. Rome was not built in a day, neither did your comeback. 

13/ Rédigez des «Not to-do lists»

Rather than making endless lists of the billions of things you have to do this back-to-school season, get into the habit of writing down what you have decided not to do because you are planning on enjoying the last beautiful weekends with your family. For example: not tidying up the cellar, not mowing the lawn, not cleaning thoroughly on Saturday afternoon, not buying Théo’s back-to-school shoes (he will wear his sandals). Making your “not to do lists” allows you to make a commitment to yourself, you feel relieved and you can then fully enjoy your day, without any guilt since it has been decreed! 

14 / pamper your sleep

The recovery is often tiring, you have to relearn how to get up early, and it is important to get enough sleep to recover well. Listen to your body’s signals. In the evening, as soon as your eyes itch and you yawn, don’t hesitate to go to bed right away, even if you think it’s early. Avoid stimulants and caffeine at the end of the day, sport and screens (TV, video games, computers, tablets) before bed.

15 / Think about the next vacation

You know, more vacations are coming! Why not start preparing them, dreaming about your next destination. The Luberon? The Camargue ? Bali? Australia? Put your creativity in control and dream to get away from it all.