Wellness Tips for Back to School
Back to School can be an exciting and stressful time for parents, kids, and students of all ages. Between meeting teachers, buying supplies, and getting back into a routine it can be easy to let your wellness fall to the back burner. Here are some tips to help reduce stress and support success this school year.
- Get plenty of sleep.
- Adjust your sleep schedule to match (possibly) early mornings. Sleep is key to staying healthy, meeting learning goals, and feeling great. Shoot for at least 7 hours each night.
- Pack healthy lunches and snacks
- This does not have to be fancy or perfect. Fruits, nuts, and protein rich foods will help keep you focused, energized, and engaged throughout the day. Help your brain stay active and engaged with healthy foods and hydration.
- Cultivate a relationship with your Primary Care Provider
- Make an appointment to get your annual health check done and be sure to follow up on any high risk numbers. Refresh any prescriptions that may be out of date, and ask any questions that have come up since your last visit. Establish a baseline of health, so you can know if your health is improving.
- Limit nighttime screen time.
- You might be using your screens more in order to complete your studies, do your best to limit late night screen time. The blue light and stress from browsing the internet can make it difficult to sleep. Try replacing screen time with relaxing activities like gentle stretching or journaling.
- Be aware of your (or your loved ones’) mental health
- Back to school can be both exciting and stressful, if you notice higher stress or frustration take steps to care for yourself and your loved ones. Many schools offer some form of mental health support, and your city or state also offers free and supportive resources.
- Make some friends.
- Connect with people in your classes (or the parents of other kids) so you have someone to lean on when things feel stressful and someone to celebrate with when things are going great.
- Take a break
- Be sure to slow down every now and then and relax. Between homework, carpools, and extra school activities it can be hard to slow down. Put intentional down time on your calendar and make it happen.
There’s no perfect way to go back to school. Try to find the best methods that will work for you and your schedule. Healthy habits will help you have the best school year you can and help increase your learning and growth.
