Transitioning from Summer to Fall

Transitioning to fall can be challenging. Summer is often a time of later wake-ups, looser schedules, and more time outside. This time of year, your feed is most likely filled with tips on resetting sleep schedules, calming back-to-school jitters, and building tasks like homework back into your daily routine.

At movemindfully, we know that change in general (both good and challenging) can cause feelings of stress, overwhelm, and anxiety. With that in mind, here are a few of our go-to mind-body strategies to ease an overwhelmed nervous system:

Take a break with a Big Sigh when talking to kids about changing back to a more school-year-appropriate bedtime, decreasing screen time so that there is ample time for homework, or even dealing with nerves about the first day of school. When conversations veer into stress-producing topics, instead of just plowing through, acknowledge that change can be hard and take a big, exaggerated sigh together. Point out how the body naturally does this as a reset when we are frustrated or exasperated and that we can use a big sigh intentionally when we need it. This simple (and often feel-good) breath can also bring a little levity to the situation.

Stand strong in Upward Mountain — The mind-body connection is so powerful that we can “act as if” even when we are feeling nervous. If someone in your household is struggling with back-to-school jitters, invite them to stand up tall and reach their arms up overhead with you. Breathe slowly as you look up to the ceiling and notice if you feel more ready for the school year. Ask each other to picture the first day of school going GREAT as you stand strong inviting in an exciting new year.

Pick a word for how you want to feel this school year and say it out loud. It might be happy, confident, focused, or brave. See if everyone in your family can come up with a positive word that describes how they want to feel. It might even be more than one word. You can write down your words (or draw pictures) to remember how you want to feel. Setting this intention together for how you want to feel will direct your thoughts and actions toward that goal.

The best part of sharing mind-body strategies with your family is that it starts a conversation about how you can use breathing, stretching, and relaxation strategies for support when you need it. Check out the movemindfully app for more Breathe Move Rest practices for you and your family!