The beginning of anything is often hard and the start of the school semester is no different, carrying with it a back pack of mixed emotions. Whether it’s the first year of school, first year starting IB, or graduation year, the start of every school year tends to bring with it some understandable nerves. What are my classes going to be like? Will I be able to handle the workload this semester will bring? Can I cope with the added responsibilities this new year may bring? What extracurriculars should I join? The list goes on and on.
It is completely normal to feel a sense of anxiety upon starting a new semester. However, there are a few habits we can keep implementing to curb the September nerves and start our year on a positive foot.
“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit”
-Aristotle
1. Manage Expectations and To Do’s: Small Ripples Make Big Waves
a. We know it’s going to be a tough semester, a challenging year. Prepare mentally and practically. Know you’re going to be pushed and just show up. Submit the assignment, go to class. Get accustomed to the idea of making 2% progress every day. Create a To Do list at the start of the semester and make it a goal to check something off every day. No matter how small or insignificant it may be.
2. Learn to Pivot
a. Progress is not linear. It never is. Do not get discouraged when you have to take a turn or change the plan. Learn to pivot. That is what being positive is. Having an optimistic mindset is looking at the whole picture not the rose-colored version of it or the picture we’d like it to be but what it actually is. Keep your BIG goals in mind and be flexible with the details. Have a plan B, plan C and a flexible attitude. An approach that says okay this isn’t how I planned it but this is how it’s unfolding, let’s see how we can make magic. Be open to surprises. Welcome positive surprises from life and from yourself.
3. Laugh at yourself
a. Studies show that we perform at a higher level when we are enjoying ourselves, so try to enjoy yourself. When something unexpected happens, change the plan, and laugh. Our mind only knows what we tell it so tell yourself you can handle it and laugh. Laugh until it’s not so serious anymore. If we teach ourselves to find joy in our routines, it’ll be easier for us to engage in them, and all of this will lead us to creating habits that will lead to a happier, fuller life. Understand that how we react, our consciousness, has profound effects on the external world, as well as our internal state and our daily life. Our attention shapes who we are. Invest your attention to things that will benefit your growth.
4. Remember to take breaks and rejuvenate
a. Self-care is part of a successful, holistic, practice to growth. If we don’t take the time to invest in our own mental, emotional, and physical health, we will eventually burn out. So, make time for breaks. Imbed some rejuvenating habits within your routine; things like sleeping at a reasonable time, breathing exercises in the morning, daily writing reflections, etc.
5. There’s a big difference between your best and the best
a. One of the easiest ways that we can become discouraged is by comparing ourselves to others. Remember, you are on your own journey. Compete only with the best version of yourself and rest assured that a little bit of progress every day goes a long way. Keep taking the next step.
Know that when you look back at the end of this year, you can look back feeling accomplished. Knowing that you have succeeded in the self-discipline, and mental strength needed to get yourself to wherever it is you want to go. You can end the year having accomplished the goals you set for yourself at the start of the year, you may change your goals during the year, or circumstances may require you to change them, whatever the case may be, you can walk away self-assured that come next September when the new school year starts, you won’t be as nervous.
Resources
– Flow by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
