“Ma, my stomach hurts!!”

“Please, let me sleep for another five minutes”

“I think I feel like throwing up, I may have come down with a fever”

“Mom I don’t feel so good today”

Some common phrases one would hear at home on the day the school re-opens. A very plain explanation to why this happens, the human mind takes time to adapt to changes. And it’s indeed ironical that the only thing permanent in life is change.

It’s that time of the year again when the good old nostalgic summer vacations come to an end and out are the school bags, books and uniforms. Post vacation blues are experienced by almost everyone while returning to a normal routine after a long happy vacation. In general, these post vacation blues will wear off over time. With schools reopening soon let’s see what can be done to welcome the new academic year with a positive aura.

To begin with let’s bring in a positive attitude towards going back to school. School is a place where you learn a whole lot of new things with a group of friends, it's a place where you explore the vast areas of knowledge with fun filled activities and tasks. So, the sooner you bring about a positive attitude about your school the better you will be able to cope up with the adjustment problems at school.

Establishing a schedule is another habit that can be cultivated. Imagine being lost in the woods without help, you tend to panic. Now imagine the same situation with a map in hand, here you have a glimpse of hope to get out of the woods. Similarly when you chalk out a plan for the day, you have a direction and a plan to follow. You will feel a sense of satisfaction at the end of the day when you look at your routine list and the things you’ve completed. Be it your home work, study time, project work or reading time, make it a point to set a creative time table or a things-to- do list and make sure you follow it to help yourself progress.

Post vacations, sleep patterns are another issue with most children. After a laid back holiday season, kids often find it difficult to wake up early and switch to the school routines. A sudden change in the sleep cycle can psychologically and physiologically disturb the child and cause unnecessary stress. Hence, let’s make it a habit at least a week before school re-opens to wake up early in order to avoid an abrupt switch in sleep patterns on the re-opening day of school and thereafter.

After all “Early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise”. Eating habits need to be paid attention to with going back to school. With many hours spent on academics and activities eating healthy food should not take a back seat. Always remember food is your fuel.

Skipping meals or eating unhealthy junk foods can make you weak and disturb your attentiveness. Small portions of vegetable and fruit power snacks between meals can make you healthy and active. Including in a healthy diet as your routine will in turn help you achieve excellent academic and attendance records.

Planning ahead really works at all times. Wrapping up the holidays and getting on with the school year can be made fun if you plan ahead. Getting all your school supplies organized is one of the most important tasks to be done before you wind up your holidays. Get your syllabus schedule and place it somewhere that is of easy access to you; organize your school bag, stationeries, project files etc., get your uniforms ready, do not push things for the last minute this can make your preparations more chaotic. When you plan ahead and get things organized you will significantly develop a positive attitude towards academics and activities.

Being prepared for the very first day is something all kids must work on. Re-opening day or the first day of the new academic year is a really important day. To be mentally prepared for it can do wonders. New classroom, new seating arrangements, new teachers, sometimes new friends can all be welcoming and at times can be a little more than what you expected. It surely is ok to feel that way because all of us take time to adapt to our surroundings. All you need to do is, put on your best smile and walk into your school with a positive attitude and the rest will fall in place.

When you inseminate these plans in your schedule, you can leave behind all your concerns and worries about going back to school. Remember, your determination is your road to success. It is your positive attitude that will make your new academic year a rewarding and exciting one.

The author is a freelance journalist and a counselling psychologist from Bangalore, currently settled in Coimbatore.

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are the author’s own