How to Beat the Back-to-School Blues
As long as we wait for the sweet days of summer break to arrive, it seems to suddenly fall away from us in a flash as the back-to-school season arrives.
No matter how you spent your summer, this can feel a little saddening—after all, we're trading in days spent by the pool and sleeping in until noon for days spent in an uncomfortable desk chair and alarms set for before sunrise. Thanks to this, the back-to-school blues are very real. However, they don't have to impact your life as much as you may think, and you can even beat them in order to embrace this time with optimism. Wondering how? Get your pen and paper ready (or, you know, just save this post) to take some notes on how to beat the back-to-school blues.
Have a Wardrobe You're Truly Excited to Wear
If your school doesn't require a uniform, the right outfit can make or break your entire day. To save yourself from having to stress about what you're going to wear each day of the week or fidget with clothing you don't love once you're already in class, prep a solid set of outfits you actually enjoy wearing to smooth out your back-to-school transition period. If you haven't shopped for your classroom-appropriate wardrobe yet, save yourself some cash by picking up a few basic pieces that fit really well and can easily be paired together—trust us, it'll save you a ton of time in the mornings too (an extra benefit if you have a tendency to hit snooze a few too many times).
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Also read about: All the Stylish Pieces You Need in Your Life This Back to School Season
Pack a Lunch You Actually Want to Eat
Having some solid snacks to get you through the day easily on hand is great, but what can really help you keep the blues away is having an amazing lunch already ready to go for you to eat when you hit the lunch table. No waiting in the lunch line, no disappointing options scooped onto a sad plastic plate—just a great meal you already know is going to taste great. Even if you aren't the best cook, you can still easily figure out how to make a decent burrito bowl, salad or other nutritious yet actually delicious meal that's much better than what you'd be served from the cafeteria.
Join an Extracurricular (That You're Actually Interested In)
Whether it's French club, drama club, the debate team or even a sport you enjoy, having extracurriculars can be beneficial for more than just your future college applications. As long as it's an activity you're actually interested in, these clubs are a great way to meet people who share similar interests and get to talk about and do things that bring you joy. You probably didn't get to enjoy many interactions like these over summer break, so having an extracurricular to look forward to come the start of school will help stave away those pesky blues.
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Plan Outside-of-School Activities With Friends
Whether it's meeting up at a nearby cafe after class or making plans for brunch over the weekend, setting up activities to look forward to outside of school can make all the difference in your overall happiness. Plus, it's more productive than simply heading straight home and scrolling on your phone, so it's a win-win for you and your friends to have something else to do. Pro tip: Plan a fun movie night for the weekend or themed at-home brunch that you all bring something to, giving you something to think about during lulls in the school week.
Also read about: 5 Journaling Prompts to Try Out This Fall
Stay Grounded With Some Journaling
If nothing else, staying grounded by remembering that the hard parts of heading back to school are only temporary can help you beat the blues of, well, heading back to school. After all, this is a unique time in life when you're always surrounded by friends and peers of your own age—not to mention you don't have the stress of being a full-fledged member of the "real world" yet. Nothing helps you think about all the good things you have to feel thankful for quite like journaling, so get yourself a good one and check out some prompts (if your journal doesn't already come with them) to stay on track and remain as mindful as possible.
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All in all, the back-to-school blues are something we've all felt before, but they don't need to ruin the rest of your year, either. Another way to stay on track this schoolyear is by having the right back-to-school setup, so click HERE to check out our list of must-haves for 2023.