Getting off on the right foot despite back to school stress

Getting off on the right foot despite back to school stress

Fall and back to school season come with their fair share of changes. These changes can cause stress and fatigue for children and adults. After a carefree summer, a very different rhythm must be adopted. Preserving a certain sense of calm and serenity when working with children may not be easy, but it is possible. Here are 10 tricks that may help.

1. As an adult, take a step back to notice your own stress level and fatigue so you won't transfer your stress to the children you care for.
2. Planning and informing children about what is coming will help you save time. Tell children about upcoming transportation changes, trips, activities, and meals. Add a few extra minutes to the end of each scheduled activity or routine to make room for unexpected circumstances or delays and reduce schedule-related stress.
3. Change your perception of time. Instead of anticipating that you won't have enough time to do everything or focusing on the clock, bring yourself back to the present moment and ask yourself if finishing a little bit later is really a serious problem.
4. Make lists and establish priorities to free your mind. Getting back to a regular schedule is often accompanied by hundreds of thoughts and obligations that can occupy your mind. Making lists (even during the night) will help you avoid repeatedly running the same thoughts through your mind.
5. Reduce screen time (television, social media, video games, etc.). Screens take up a lot of quality time with those who are important to us (and alone time). By reducing the number of minutes you spend in front of a screen, you will have more time to do important things!
6. Talking about stress with other adults and children can be freeing. Discuss what you are going through and ask others what the best and worst part of their day was. Do not search for solutions, just listen.
7. Breathe deeply three times to relax whenever you feel your stress level begin to rise, at work or at home.
8. Prevention is important. Establish a relaxation routine. Practicing relaxation techniques daily can be very beneficial. Pick a time of day to integrate a relaxation exercise, breathing exercises, meditation, yoga, self-massage, or any technique you prefer.
9. Enjoy life. Laughter and fun lead to the secretion of hormones that help you relax and therefore make a Zen attitude possible.
10. Lower your expectations. During transitions and periods of change, our body is in a state of imbalance. It therefore requires flexibility to regain balance. Does everything really need to be perfect?
11. Keep in mind that the neighbour's garden always seems greener! This is even more true today with the presence of social media and the many pictures and images that always seem so perfect. Don't forget that only the people who publish them know what happened before and after they were taken!

Nathalie Parent
Psychologist
www.nathalieparentpsychologue.com