We hope you had a wonderful summer with your family, full of fun moments and beautiful memories.  As we transition into September and prepare for the new school year, it’s a good time to check in with yourself: how are you feeling, what have you been thinking about lately, are there certain stressors in your life at this moment? 

Small and big transitions can bring about stress, worry, anxiety, excitement, and many more emotions.  Often, a change in routine or a change in schedule can trigger a whole range of emotions.

During the back-to-school transition, it is common to focus on our to-do lists, whether it is buying a new backpack for our child, getting autumn clothes out of the storage bins, or signing back-to-school forms.  However, we want to encourage you to remember to take care of yourself, too.  From a holistic health and wellness perspective, here are a few tips for you and your family as you move through this transition:

Establish set sleep schedules and bedtime routines

Children crave consistency, routines, and knowing what to expect.  Doing the same thing at about the same time day after day creates a sense of normalcy, safety, and routine.  This will help decrease stress and anxiety over time.

Back to basics

Drink as much water as you can (bring the reusable water bottle with you everywhere you go and send one with your child to school).  By doing this, you make it much easier to eliminate consumption of soda and juice throughout the day. 

Drinking water saves you money (not buying all of that soda and juice!) as well as increases energy, decreases the likelihood of getting headaches, and improves overall digestion. 

Plan dinners for the week with a vegetable foundation

Load up the plate with vegetables first, then add in protein/carbs/fats.  It can be overwhelming to determine if a certain diet or way of eating is best for you, your child or your whole family.  But, we can probably all agree that vegetables are great for us!  If you start with loading up your plate with vegetables, you’re off to a wonderful start! 

Get outside and play!

Visit a new park, walk around your neighborhood, play in the backyard, ride bikes down your street.

It’s easy to get caught up in homework and chores, but take advantage of the afterschool, post-dinner daylight while we still have it.  Get outside and play! 

Start a 2-minute daily gratitude practice

A super simple and easy way to stay positive, present, and focused on what’s truly important.

One way to start: everyone in the family talks about one thing that made them happy today while you’re eating dinner together.

What’s one thing you’ll try this September as your family transitions back to school?