Better Habits for Back to School: Rec. Reading v5

We recognize that habit-building and good mental health can’t be isolated to just one corner of the internet. Myrth is our favorite tool, but it’s not our only tool. In our regular Recommended Reading series, we’ll share links to articles, books, and other tools that we think you’ll find helpful in your journey.

It’s back-to-school season in much of the northern hemisphere, and there’s nothing quite like the start of a new school year to get people in the mood for good habits and taking care of themselves. In this week’s installment of Recommended Reading, we’ll take a look at some ideas for helping students of all ages establish good habits that will carry them through the school year, especially when it comes to their mental health.

1. September is a Good Time for Everybody to Build New Habits

Here at Myrth, we’re big believers that any time is a great time to start fresh, but we’ve heard from a lot of people over the years that making a New Year’s Resolution freaks them out. It turns out there’s a good reason for that: the holidays are overwhelming and leave a lot of us feeling depleted at the end. That’s why we loved this piece from NBC news on setting goals in September, which feels more manageable for a lot of people:

A new report from Pinterest revealed that goal-related searches are on the rise, with more people seeking inspiration around goal planning (up 128 percent), goal lists (up 101 percent), big family goals (up 86 percent) and life goals (up 81 percent). Pinterest’s data comes as no surprise to Jenna Palumbo, a therapist at Evergreen Therapy in Illinois, who says she notices clients shifting their attention toward goal setting this time of year. “In my experience with clients, I notice that there's a bigger draw to making positive changes at this time of year than there is after the new year,” says Palumbo, who praises September as “a more realistic time to make changes and set up new routines than January…”

If you’re also feeling that back-to-school energy, you can use some of the tips in this article to help set yourself on a path to success. The article even mentions finding an accountability partner, and you know we love that idea!

2. College Administrators are Taking Student Mental Health More Seriously

We’ve been watching the rising rates of mental health challenges on college campuses with concern lately. While there’s some question of whether rates of mental illness are actually increasing or whether students are just more comfortable seeking help and have better access to resources, it’s still true that 15% of students had anxiety and 12% had depression as of 2015. That’s why we were pleased to see this article about how college presidents are getting serious about helping students with their mental health:

The association found 29 percent of all the presidents surveyed received reports of students with mental health issues once a week or more. About 42 percent of the presidents reported hearing about these problems at least a few times every month. As a result, presidents have allocated more funding to addressing student mental health problems -- 72 percent of the presidents indicated they had spent more money on mental health initiatives than they did three years ago. One unnamed president even reported spending $15 million on a new “comprehensive student well-being building.”

College can be a stressful period of life, especially that first year with its fraught transition from living at home and having a relatively structured life to the unfettered freedom of being away at school. We hope these new resources will help students ease into the new school year successfully.

3. For Academic Success, Focus On Three Key Habits

Younger students going back to school often have trouble readjusting after the fun of summertime, with its disrupted schedule and exciting activities. Settling back into routines can be hard after an extended period of less structured time. We like this simple overview from a student support specialist, who focused on three key habits for students to rebuild at the start of the school year:

Many kids throughout the area are heading back to class for the start of a new school year this week. With that in mind, we sought out some helpful back-to-school tips from a local learning specialist, Jesuit High School Director of Learning Support Colleen O'Mahony. When asked to come up with three healthy habits that lead to successful students, Colleen said, "You're not going to go wrong if you focus on sleep, nutrition, and good homework habits."

So many back-to-school guides make things overcomplicated and give people the impression that getting into a routine for school is a huge undertaking. That’s why we liked this perspective so much. Focus on three key, simple habits, and the rest will follow.

4. Tips for Building Healthy Sleep Habits

Going back to school often results in sleep disruptions as students have to wake up earlier and go to bed earlier. Even if you’re not the one going to school, your routine will likely be affected by the new school year--like having to get up earlier because there is more traffic on the roads and your morning commute is suddenly longer. We found this article about building healthy sleep habits really helpful:

Building on previous research that showed sleep deprivation in 71% of middle and high school students, the data revealed that students lost up to a full night of sleep every week due to poor sleep habits. … Participating teens incorporated two of the recommended daily activities into their routines to see how they impacted sleep quality and quantity. Creating a relaxing bedtime routine and “practicing a consistent sleep schedule” were the most successful daily activities, resulting in 93% of participants reporting “better sleep.”

Wherever you are and whatever stage of life you’re in, we hope the fresh September air and new school year vibes are helping you feel motivated and focused on making good choices. Enlist the help of an accountability buddy and let’s get started!

Do you like making a fresh start in September? What new habits have you committed to? Let us know in the comments!