Back to School Wellness Hacks

Back-to-school season can be exciting and busy. On the other hand, new schedules, new commutes, and new workloads could also become overwhelming.

As a child growing up in Los Angeles in the 1990s, my parents took my brother and me on our last hoorah weekend getaway at the Disneyland Resort before the school year started. Since the school year started after Labor Day, my brother and I knew we had to savor our the fun before the fall took a more serious tone at the house.

In this post, I’ll be sharing some my favorite grown up wellness hacks before the new school year starts.

Anticipating change and planning ahead could mitigate the back to school stresses. The first set of wellness hacks illustrate the importance of transitioning and mentally preparing for the new fall season. The second set of wellness hacks includes seasonal supplies I keep handy for the cooler months. The third set of wellness hacks involves guiding principles for organizing back-to-school/office wardrobe.

Mental Preparation and Planning Ahead

When I prepare for the back to school season, I run off to the nearest bookstore to pick up a blank journal. I pick up a journal that illustrates my mood and captures my sense of wonder. I usually stock up in my favorite pens and markers on my way to the register. Being a former classroom teacher and a university teaching assistant, I always had lots of index cards, post-its, post-it flags, and pens of all kinds.

As I prepare for my planning session, I make my matcha tea, load up the essential oils in the diffuser, take out my crystals, turn on my mood music, then I lay out all my favorite stationary and writing instruments.

The first mental exercise is the practice of gratitude. I create lists of tasks completed by project. I take stock of all my achievements from the previous academic year.

The second mental exercise involves goal setting. There are many ways to goal-set. I keep a bullet journal and log my habits throughout the year. After reviewing previous entries, I reflect on my previous and current circumstances, identify hurdles to overcome in the upcoming year, adjust my strategies, and even modify my goals.

Seasonal Supply Stocking

I personally felt so excited about back to school shopping as a child and as a classroom teacher, I would go to craft stores like Michael’s, office supplies like Staples, and look at other household supplies from local lifestyle stores like Muji with my mother. My mother loves the bargain hunt and always had extra supplies around the house in case we needed something at home later in the year.

When I lived away from home and had to plan my own shopping trips, I realized the importance of stocking up on some essentials in case I got caught up with my teaching, research, fieldwork, or even last minute proposals. I learned that success also includes having essential supplies when needed the most.

My favorite place to shop is the grocery store. Whenever I walk into to a grocery store like Trader Joe’s, Bristol Farms, or Gelson’s, I am amazed by all the variations and the choices.

These days, I wander to the herb and salad aisle at the grocery store. I get curious about lettuce in different sizes, shapes, and colors. Then I try to find seasonal, locally sourced produce that warms the belly and the soul. For instance, I love roasting root vegetables when the temperatures gets cold since the oven warms the house. Then. I add a dash of balsamic vinegar for that spark of flavor.

Since I am expanding my culinary repertoire, I also Stock up on spices that add flavor, but not fat, processed table sugar, or sodium (table salt).

Fall classes and work reminds me of coffee runs. I remember being an undergraduate student and making regular runs to Starbucks in between classes. These days, I actually take my coffee pretty seriously and sample brews from local artisan roasters. I trace the beans’ location of origins and appreciate all the flavor notes.

Although I indulge on an artisan latte when meeting with friends, my primary coffee consumption happens at home or I put my brew in my thermos bottle before heading out the door.

Since coffee is a major part of my everyday life, I expanded on tea/coffee collection. I have roasts from my favorite roasters near and far. My mother drank tea throughout the day when I was home, so I also picked up the habit of making tea in the afternoons before dinner. Tea is one of our favorite family beverages, so we have teas from all over the world in stock.

Have a lucky thermos bottle for warm beverages in the autumn months. My lucky thermos bottle turned into a collection over the years. These bottles are so important for carrying hot and cold beverages on the go. These days, I actually carry my thermos for my hot yoga sessions, so my drinks stay cold as I’m finishing my workouts.

Seasonal fashion

As much as I love trendy fashion and whimsical designs, I realized the significance of having a professional capsule wardrobe that features year round essentials that fit perfectly and then updated with seasonal accessories. I find clothes that fit perfectly and makes feel empowered. I wear mostly solid colors, but also include pieces with great fabrics and textures.

Anticipate rain showers with matching umbrella and boots.

Growing up in Los Angeles, I almost never got caught in the rain. The mild mediterranean climate rarely called for an umbrella or galoshes. When I started traveling to other parts of the country for research conferences, I always carried a travel-sized umbrella in my bag and wore my waterproof boots on the plane when rain was in the weather forecast.

Invest in a winter accessory such as a cozy beanie, furry earmuffs, or a toasty headband, or a warm scarf for the cold mornings.

Having a favorite winter accessory like a hat or a headband makes the world of difference when heading to the office or to school in the morning. This year I wore a navy blue beanie with two fluffy pompoms. Whenever I put the beanie on, I felt motivated to run all my errands and take on the day. When Diana and Imran took me holiday shopping 2019, they bought me an elegant camel-colored cashmere scarf. Whenever I drape the scarf around my neck, I feel so loved.

Fall Self-Care Tip

The back-to-school rush is real and it is difficult to carve out some me-time. One of my favorite wellness hack is to create a quiet time (no screen ritual) to help unwind at the end of the day. I learned the importance of rest periods and how my rest actually charged up my productivity periods. If possible, I try to take 45-60 minutes to disconnect from all devices and gradually get ready for bed. When I unplug from al my screens and switch towards a favorite book, a cup of tea, or even an occasional spa day, I sleep way better and feel completely refreshed the next day.