Back to school used to be a time of excitement for many people. A chance for a fresh start. I remember personally loving the idea of back to school shopping – I would scour the flyers for local shops seeing where I could get the best deal on highlighters, pens and pencils that I would only use a fraction of before I lost them or lent them to classmates, never to be seen again.
But this year the school season is different, like everything else. Now it is riddled with anxiety and uncertainty as no plans have been finalized and it seems like it is going to be customized and adjusted as the first semester goes on.
The best thing to do, I suppose is to roll with the punches as they land. Be adaptable to change, as it will likely occur often.
To lessen the stress of the season a little, I have made a short list of how to keep organized going into the new school year, adapted for Covid-19. My support and love is with everyone who has to make the tough decisions this fall about whether to go back to school or not. No choice is easy, no choice is going to be the perfect fit for you and your life. But know that what you are doing is enough.
1. Shop your own home for school supplies. Before heading out to the stores and braving the crowds of people not in your bubble, check out what you have at home. Pens, pencils, highlighters, paper, sharpeners and other supplies are likely lying around in junk drawers, office pen cups and other areas around the home. You don’t need everything to be new, especially if you have a lot of items already in your possession. See if any friends or family members have items laying around that they don’t need, or check free online groups! Countless times I have helped someone organize their home and we end up donating a whole bunch of office supplies that they don’t need – you likely have someone in your life from which you can borrow/gain school supplies!
2. Create a meal prep schedule for weekdays so you don’t have to think last-minute about what to make for lunches and dinners. This will alleviate stress after a long school/work day, and also cut down on food waste and money from eating out when the stress gets to be too much. Try to meal plan using what you already have, eliminating the need to go to the grocery store as much as possible.
3. Create a schedule for yourself (as well as your children, if applicable) of when to do work, homework, extra-curricular activities/volunteering, and social time. Time has lost all meaning during Covid, it’s often hard to remember which day of the week it is. By creating a schedule for yourself with time restrictions/boundaries, you are helping keep yourself on track of the tasks you need to accomplish.
4. Masks and hand sanitizer are just a couple of the things that have become a part of our daily lives, so make sure you have the correct amount to get you through the week. If you toss your mask(s) in the washing machine at the end of the day, make sure you have enough masks for each person for the week depending on their activities, allowing for back-ups if need be. Have a pattern to come home, take off the mask and put it in the laundry hamper immediately so it does not get lost. Be sure to keep it on your wrist or in a specific pocket of your bag when not in use so you know where to find it and it is less likely to end up abandoned on the ground. If you hand-wash your masks, be sure to do that immediately when you get home so you give it enough time to dry before its next use. Check your portable hand-sanitizer bottles at the end of the day and refill as needed to make sure that you are not caught without.
