For many young people, August marks the end of the summer and the beginning of a new school year. It’s normal during any period of transition to feel apprehensive, excited, or overwhelmed by the big changes that are occurring. This is why it is so important for students to not forget to prioritize their wellbeing amongst the disruption of these changes.

Here are some tips to help you face your challenges. 

1. Prioritize Your Sleep: When we have a lot to do, or a lot that we want to do, it is very common to put sleep at the bottom of the list. It may feel like we can get more done if we have more hours to be awake. However, we know that when we are deprived of sleep, we don’t learn as easily, we don’t remember the information that we learned, and we can be pretty irritable and stressed. Keeping a regular sleep schedule where you wake up and go to bed at the same time every night is the key to keeping you feeling refreshed and ready to face the challenges of the day.

2. Get Into a Routine: Humans are creatures of habit, we thrive on predictability. It helps us feel confident and safe to handle whatever comes our way, and also be flexible when we need to be. When we experience big changes in our lives, our routines are the first to be altered. Getting into a routine means that you have time for the things that matter to you, like sleeping, exercising, relaxing, cooking, and important tasks like homework and studying. 

3. Ask for Help: As a student, there can be a lot of demands on your time and attention. Sometimes without realizing it, we are shouldering a burden that is too much for us to handle. It’s important to remember that we are not alone and there are people out there who want to help us when we are having a difficult time managing our lives. Telling a trusted teacher, advisor, or clinician at your campus wellness center about what you are struggling with can help you find solutions that you may not have thought of yourself. 

4. Do Things That You Enjoy: With all of the demands on our time, it can be easy to deprioritize the activities that we are not required to do. However, making time for our hobbies or interests is what keeps us grounded during times of change and uncertainty.