Articles, GirlSpring.com, School

From Motivation to Mindset: Shift your Mindset from Summer to School

Mindset

If you’re anything like me, you’re probably experiencing some difficulty in terms of the transition from summer to school. Not only is the shift a physical one, it has a lot to do with mentality and mindset. 

Mindset Matters.

Here are some tips to transform your mindset into productive and self-care oriented.

Make a loose schedule and stick to it.

I’m not saying that you need to map out every single second of every day. However, I find it helpful to have a general idea as to how I want to go about my day. Tying into this point, make sure you have an agenda to keep track of your assignments! It is so easy to forget an assignment if you don’t write it down. 

My second tip is one that, until recently, I completely underestimated.

Get enough sleep!

Last year, I would go to sleep at 2am and get up for school fifteen minutes before I had to be out the door. Although I was able to push and make it through the week, it wasn’t sustainable and I was under a constant state of exhaustion. It was only until I had a healthy sleep schedule that I realized just how much more productive and energetic I could be. Go through the trouble of setting timers and sticking to them and have your day set up in a way so that you can get to bed at a good time!

This next tip is probably one of the most important

Challenge yourself, but don’t push it and don’t be a perfectionist. In school and life, it is important to get out of your comfort zone. Challenging yourself allows you to grow. However, there is a very thin line between a healthy amount of growth and something that turns stressful and implements perfectionism. It is important that you know your limits and that you don’t push them too much. Remember that your mental health is crucial to getting your best work done. It needs to be a priority. One thing that I like to do when feeling overwhelmed is host a little movie night with myself. I watch a comfort movie while eating whatever snacks are in my house at the moment. It helps me wind down and relax. 

Have a Balance – It’s Crucial!

This next piece of advice is crucial to having your best school year: have a balance. Don’t spend your whole day doing homework, but don’t spend the entire day avoiding it either. For the purpose of your mental health, you want to make sure you are getting in a little bit of everything in your day. Get in some time with friends, get in some time for homework and studying, and give yourself time for you and your hobbies (whatever they may be). 

What I have to say here is something that I never would have imagined coming out of my mouth, but get physical exercise. Now, I am nowhere near being the most athletic person in the room. In fact, sports and athletics are probably one of the things I am the worst at. However, I have noticed how getting some exercise, or even just a little bit of sun, has completely changed the course of my day for the better. I end up feeling much more energized and it always puts me in a better mood. It’s not like I do much exercise either. I go on twenty minute walks or do a ten minute workout. It is nothing special, but I always end up feeling better in the end. 

These tips are only the beginning.

While they will help you get your life together and prepare you for school, a lot of it has to do with your own mindset. When I look at my 8th grade self versus my 9th grade self, for example, that is where I see one of the greatest differences. When 8th grade had started out for me, I was unmotivated. I got all my work done, but it was never at its best and I found myself constantly dragging and exhausted. My mindset was in the wrong place. I was looking at school from a place of constant negativity and I was making excuses for myself to avoid working. When 9th grade rolled around, I decided that I would change things up a little bit. Even though it took some hard work, I turned my mindset around. I woke up earlier and I made time for myself. I tried being more balanced and it made me see both life and school from a more positive perspective. 

Mindset Makeover

To be able to do this, you have to know yourself. Knowing what makes you energized and motivated and knowing what (or who) drags you down are both extremely important. Being aware of these makes it so that you can be in more control of your life’s outcome. 

margauxwrites

Hey! I am a sophomore in high school with a passion for writing! I am a strong advocate for women's rights who believes that the world needs change. If I'm not writing, I'm either reading or preparing for my next Model United Nations conference. One of my dreams is to be able to travel the world either as a lawyer or a travel writer!

More Posts

You may also like

Leave a Reply