With summer break drawing to a close over the next few weeks, many transitions might be happening in your life right now. Whether you have kids going back to school, you are a kid prepping to get back to campus, or your summer travel schedule is over and your work hours are back to normal, tension can be at an all-time high. So how do you keep your head above the waves, make your days calm, and navigate these choppy back-to-school waters?

Take a Step Back & Breathe

It’s easy to get caught up in the pressure of big and small transitions— did you know that 90% of all ER visits are stress related?! You are not alone when it comes to stress. Deep breathing has proven to have a dramatic effect on your nervous system in a positive way.

Yep, one simple thing you can do anywhere, without anyone really being aware - is deepen your breathing. There are several types of deep breathing exercises, including diaphragmatic breathing, abdominal breathing, belly breathing and paced respiration.

Plan + Be Organized

Being organized as you adjust into a new routine can be really helpful to minimize any sense of upheaval. Organize in a way that serves you (as opposed to it being a rigid schedule or plan), in accomplishing your daily tasks + goals and that intentionally provides you with more headspace and calm. This might include little things like waking up earlier, adding meditation to your daily routine, writing lists and setting calendar reminders of important to-do’s.

Self-Care 100%

Somehow it seems that one of the first aspects that gets kicked to the curb when we are stressed is our self-care routine. It’s easy to put yourself on hold until life calms down again, but your body and mind will thank you if you stay true to your daily rituals. Self-care is a priority that will support you going the distance and not just getting by.

Have a daily routine that you stick to. Make sure it includes fueling up with nourishing foods, drinking water like it’s going out of style, getting some exercise in (no matter what that looks like, shoot for 30 mins a day!), spend some time outside if you’re able and absolutely get your Zzzzzz’s!

Accountability + Success

Life is always moving and change is the only constant. We know this, but that doesn’t mean that it’s always tranquil or that we have it all together. As much as taking care of yourself is one of the biggest components to setting yourself up for success, it’s also important to stand firm in your commitments and honor your successes.

People are dependent on you in one way or another – and showing up for them and for yourself is honestly what makes the world go round. We are all in this together, and we do in fact get by with a little help from our friends – or vice versa, they get by on our support. Remain dependable by scheduling yourself (time, energy output) so that you have resources to give, and a plan to refuel on the regular. Every day you follow through with completing your goals, self-five! Honor your successes and make them frequent. A sense of accomplishment can leave us all feeling good.

Switch Off

It’s also not new news to recognize that we are almost always ‘plugged in’. For example, you’re reading this on one electronic device or another! Technology is a huge blessing we have, and it can also be really consuming. Build some downtime into your life. See what happens if you give yourself a chance to switch off, unplug from social media, work emails, general internetting etc at a specific time in your evening. It’s been recommended to implement this around one an hour before bed. Choose a wind down routine that ditches the screen, and opens your body up to becoming more in-sync with natures natural rhythm.

Bottom Line

Change is life, and while that an certainly have its challenges, if you set yourself up well, change your perspective as needed, you can find a ton of blessings on the daily. Navigate this season with a little more ease and calm and thrive in this next chapter of your life!