The Most Important Back-to-School Supply Isn't on Your List
The back-to-school season often comes with a familiar checklist: a computer, notebooks, binders, pens, clothes, and everything else needed to start the year prepared.
In the middle of shopping lists and schedules, it is easy to overlook one of the most important items that students and families can bring into a new school year: Mental health and well-being.
Returning to school is exciting, but can also be the cause of stress, anxiety, and overwhelm.
Instead of focusing on having every material item perfectly prepared, we should try to prioritize the most important back-to-school supply: mindfulness
A clear mind makes room for a strong start.”
— Mindfulness Matters for Teen Well-Being
Mindfulness can help students and families manage the pressure and stress of a new school year by creating opportunities to slow down, check in, and focus on what is happening in the moment.
Here are a few ways the whole family can mindfully prepare for the transition back to school:
Kids: Take Charge of Your Back-to-School Needs
Take ownership of your back-to-school preparations.
Start a list and add to it whenever you become aware of something you need. Get organized, make a plan, and cross-check your list with a parent or guardian to make sure you have the basics covered. Keep the list somewhere visible so you can stay on top of it.
This is about more than just remembering school supplies. It is helping you to practice an important life skill called executive functioning.
Planning, organizing, and managing responsibilities are skills that you will continue to need throughout school, college, work, and life. Taking responsibility for your own needs now is one way to start to build independence.
Kids: Reset Your Routines and Practice Staying Present
About a month before school starts, gradually begin to shift your routine. Try setting your alarm a few minutes earlier each day to help your mind and body adjust.
Once school begins, keep some of your positive summer habits with you: take breaks from your devices. Move your body. Get outside. Slow down when you need to. Most importantly, take time to check in with yourself.
The transition from sleeping in and having a relaxed schedule to early mornings and a fast-paced routine can feel difficult. When things start to feel overwhelming, try this:
Stop. Take a breath. Just BE for a moment before moving on to “doing” again.
Mindfulness does not require adding another thing to your to-do list; it can mean pausing for a few minutes a day.
Parents: Step Back and Give Your Teen Responsibility
Here is a challenge: stop micromanaging.
Trust your child to take on some of the responsibility of preparing for school. Ask them what they need. Have them create their own list. Help where necessary, but allow them to take ownership and hold them accountable.
Doing everything for your child may feel more efficient in the moment, but it can also prevent them from developing confidence in their ability to manage things independently.
Giving young people responsibility helps build autonomy, confidence, and life skills.
The goal is not to leave them completely on their own. It is to create opportunities for them to practice making decisions, solving problems, and taking responsibility.
Parents: Stay Present Instead of Trying to Do Everything
Back-to-school preparation can quickly become overwhelming.
There are schedules to coordinate, supplies to buy, forms to complete, activities to plan, and so many other tasks competing for your attention.
But remember:
What needs to get done will get done.
Trying to perfectly plan and prepare for every possible situation can sometimes create more anxiety than the transition itself.
Instead, focus on the present moment. Do what you can when you can. And do not let the back-to-school checklist become more important than the people you are completing it for.
Shopping for supplies, organizing schedules, and preparing for a new year can also represent opportunities to connect with your child. Make them part of the journey rather than another stressful task to check off.
You don't need everything perfectly planned to have a successful transition back to school.
Together: Practice Mindfulness
Mindfulness is not just an individual practice.
Schedule time to practice mindfulness together so everyone can work on staying calm and present. This could be a few minutes of breathing, a short mindfulness exercise, a walk without devices, or simply taking a moment to pause and check in with one another.
You can try asking questions like:
How are you feeling about the school year?
What is something that you are excited about?
What is something that you are worried about?
What do you need right now?
Practicing mindfulness together creates a baseline of focused awareness. It helps everyone become more attuned to their thoughts, feelings, and needs, and this awareness can help to set the tone for the other skills and habits that you are building together.
