Wellness Reset
As summer nears to an end, now is a good opportunity to reset for the upcoming school year or change of seasons. Oftentimes, the fall brings new routines, a busier schedule, and new experiences. To support a smooth transition, Aspire Services has put together 5 of our favourite ways to reset and prepare for this new, busier season.
Evening Wind Down
Create a relaxing, low pressure evening routine to allow your body and brain time to process the events of the day and prepare for the next day. For example, this might look like scheduling time to watch your favourite show while enjoying a warm drink. Or doing an act of self care while snacking on your favourite chips. To take this a step further, you could pair it with an activity to prepare for the next day. For example, plan your outfit or pack your lunch, then enjoy your relaxing evening routine. The goal with this is to be mindful and intentional, and allow yourself time to reset before going to bed and starting the next day.
Mid Year Goal Check In
Now that we are past the half way mark for the year, it’s a great time to pause and look back on any goals you've set for yourself. A check in can help keep you accountable and help you identify if you are on track or behind on goals.
Sunday Reset
Similar to an evening routine, an intentional Sunday reset can help you feel prepared and ease anxiety for the rest of the week. A Sunday reset could include multiple tasks such as washing laundry from the previous week, catching up on dishes, meal prepping lunches for the week, and tidying your space to have a fresh start on Monday morning. Even picking 1-2 of these tasks can help with the transition into the new week.
Coping Tools
As fall often brings new routines, new places, and new people, it’s helpful to check in with yourself and refresh on what tools help you feel regulated when feeling anxious, upset, or overwhelmed. At Aspire, we encourage clients to build a “coping tool box”. This is a collection of items and prompts that you have identified as helpful. We recommend keeping these items together in one place such as in a ziploc bag or cosmetic bag so that the items can be moved easily from home, school, work, or the community. A coping toolbox might include fidgets, gum/mints, sour candy, breathing visuals, headphones, and whatever else helps you feel calm and safe. A quick tip, practice identifying what it feels like in moments before overwhelm and potential triggers so that you know when to implement your coping strategies.
Sleep Reset
One of the most important pieces of your wellness is sleep. An inconsistent sleep schedule or lack of sleep can greatly affect your physical, emotional, and mental health. Now is a good time to assess your sleep schedule to see if you are getting enough hours of sleep and if your current sleep schedule compliments your fall routine. For example, going to sleep at 2am and waking up at 11am will not be effective when starting school at 8am in a few weeks. If you think that your sleep schedule needs to be adjusted, try going to bed/waking up 30 minutes earlier over the next few weeks until you are going to bed and waking up at an appropriate time for your upcoming fall schedule.