Back to School – Stress Reduction Strategies

September 29, 2010
 Back to school season is in swing and some are franticly trying to get their children ready in the mornings or are rushing them to their team practices. Here are a few tips to help with the early morning or late afternoon stresses of getting your children where they need to be, while still getting to work on time or dinner on the table. Even if you don’t have children these tips will benefit you as well to help you get a better start to your days. Take a few minutes to relax and read these simple tips.

  • Begin your morning at night. Pick out clothes the night before.  It will save valuable time when you know exactly what you’re going to wear.  
  • Prepare backpacks, briefcases, snacks, and lunches the night before.  Place critical items near the door from where you will be leaving or in a central location.
  • Take care of you.  Give yourself a chunk of time each morning right when you get out of bed, to relax and do exactly what you want before tending to the needs of anyone else.
  • Don’t be a perfectionist in the morning.  Unless you have ample time, don’t try a new hair style or paint your nails if you know that’ll make you late
  • In the morning, think of something to look forward to that day.  Workdays can become monotonous.  If you’re experiencing “cabin fever” at work, concentrate on what you’ll do for lunch.  If you can, get out for a lunch break, catch up with an old friend, or take a walk down a new street.  Break away from the budget every now and then, and go get one of those fancy-super-duper six-dollar frappo-carmel-latte-mocha-chai drinks and enjoy every sip of it.  Do something “wildly indulgent” for ten dollars or less.
  • If you happen to be running late to work, don’t rush and panic. Just call your office and say you are in a traffic jam, or had an important business call or something.  The point is to drive safely to work.  

It is important to realize that what you do and how you react in the morning sets the tone for the rest of your day, and habituating an effective morning routine can do wonders for your life.  A little effort to simplify your mornings will help you get off to a happy, healthy start each day! 
Filed Under: Life Balance