September ~ 2024
Going Back to School/Work
With Summer coming to a close, most of us are going back to school or getting back into a more regular work schedule.
I wanted to share a few, practical tips, that may help you in whatever transition you may be finding yourself in, as we approach fall. If, below, I left anything out that’s of particular importance to you, that you strive to implement in your day-to-day, please reach out to let me know; the below are just a few suggestions, and none of this stuff is a one size fits all.
1. Breathe ~
(forgive me if you’ve heard this before). Such a simple thing but so helpful (check out the book “Breath” by James Nestor and see video at the end of this post; game changer). Bring attention to your breath; notice its rhythm, let it be for several moments. Merely attending to it can start to slow down your nervous system, promoting the rest state within ANS (which stands for ‘Autonomic Nervous System’; see content at the bottom of this post if you want to learn more). You can then take several (at least three, but aim for ten) deep inhales, and exhales, pausing in between. Don’t over-concern yourself with the exact number of seconds you take with the inhale, hold and exhale, though if you want, try 4 (in) 6 (hold) 8 (out).
2. Listen ~
Listen to the internal and external; what sensations and thoughts are you able to identify? Try noticing the sensations and thoughts first and foremost, as these influence our emotional states (i.e. if I think / tell myself that my heart racing is ‘bad’ then anxiety is the much more likely emotion that I’ll experience as opposed to ‘good’ or ‘energizing’ labels, which may prompt excitement). Externally: consider, who is around me and what are they saying? Listening is a learned skill that takes a lot of concerted, consistent effort, and people, generally speaking, love to be listened to; let them know you’re listening by asking follow-up questions and comments that indicate that you’re interested (act as if you’re interested even if you don’t genuinely feel it in that moment; we all have to ‘fake it till we make it’ to varying extents, throughout our lives). See Dale Carneige’s “How to Win Friends and Influence People” and “Opposite Action” strategy at the end.
3. Smile ~
Smile at your teachers, colleagues, peers, friends, family etc. This one is pretty self-explanatory, might sound cheesy (!) but let’s move past that. Research has shown us that smiling brings a whole host of benefits, including but not limited to a more positive outlook, a strengthened immune system mitigating risks associated with stress and cardiovascular disease (Lewis, 2022).
4. Everything is OK ~
Or something along those lines — what can you tell yourself that is balanced, more true than not; something that you can drop into, adopt as a personal mantra, regardless of the external circumstances? Yes, change can be hard; transitions can be hard. But can things be ok and hard? You get to decide; you get to tell yourself whatever you want; no one can do that for you.
5. Come up with your own ~
Come up with your own ... mantra, attitude, thought/series of thoughts that coincide with your goals, aspirations, particularly those geared towards this next quarter/semester/chapter, etc.
Fall brings a host of changes — remember: everything changes, all the time. Life is change. Leaning into change is leaning into life.