Getting back into the swing of things after summer break can be hard. Each school year comes with its own set of challenges that throw off your schedule, causing your self-care routine to be put on the back burner. Sound familiar? Here is how I break the busy fall burnout cycle and get into a balanced routine.
Step one: Set your intentions
To me, the change of the seasons represents an opportunity to start fresh and reexamine what intentions or goals I would like to achieve in this new chapter. It sounds simple, but taking a moment to think about what you want to get out of this new season and jotting some things down in your notes app can be really beneficial for setting up the path to a balanced and fulfilling fall season. Seeing your intentions laid out helps to rewire your mindset to where you want to make those intentions part of your routine. If you would like to take it a step further, I find that making a vision board on my Pinterest with pictures related to my goals and intentions helps me visualize what it looks like to be living out my intentions. I like to keep a running vision board to see how my goals change over time.
Step two: make a game plan
Something I was told that made me more conscious of how I strategize is that your goals are not your game plan. It is easy to think that your list of intentions equates to your plan of action, but that is just the first step. Now that you know where you want to go, how are you going to get there? Think about what you can feasibly incorporate into your daily or weekly schedule to align with your intentions. These baby steps will make it easier to create a balanced routine unique to you and your busy school schedule.
Step Three: Plan out your schedule
Now that a balanced routine seems less daunting, it’s time to incorporate your plan of action into your regular routine. I find that in college each day of the week is drastically different than the last, so I like to take some time in the evening to plan out what I would like to accomplish the next day. You can use your favorite to-do list app to do this or keep it simple with using the reminders app on your iPhone. I like to use reminders and actually block out what time I want to do each thing. Although I don’t always stick to such a structured timeline, by blocking out time to do all the things I want to and need to do, it helps me ensure that I have the time in the day to do everything I set out to do. This helps me not feel overwhelmed with all my schoolwork and extracurricular activities by reaffirming to myself that I can tackle those things AND work out, see friends, take time for self-care, etc.
I hope this helps you to have a rewarding and balanced semester. Happy fall!