With summer simmering down and September well under way, many of you may be dreading the inevitable return to school. It’s always sad to realize your days of summer craze are slowly coming to an end, and with good reason. Be it the trips, the parties, or simply the carefree laze of it, summer vacation certainly makes going back difficult. Since we’ve already posted some survival tips for all the university newcomers out there, this one’s for everyone else who may need a pick-me up. Whether you’re looking forward to returning or absolutely dreading it, here are four tips that might ease your segue back to ordinary life.

1. SLEEP MORE AT NIGHT TO SLEEP LESS IN CLASS

Many of my friends lose it when I mention sleeping at 10:00PM and getting a full eight (or ten) hours of sleep a night. They ask how I do it and I usually give them the same answer: sleep is a priority. It ought to be. Research suggests that quality sleep (of 6-8 hours in length) plays a role in promoting various cognitive abilities including but not limited to language, decision-making, and memory. On top of that, sleep can help you deal better with life’s stress, refrain from poor eating habits, and even gives you an energy boost in the morning!

Note: Sleeping too much and long naps throughout the day contrary to popular belief do not help. 6-8 consecutive hours of sleep, that’s the goal.

2. NEVER SKIP BREAKFAST

In a rush? Take something simple on the go. Having breakfast is beneficial in a number of ways. For one it boosts cognitive functions like memory and attention, making it much easier to stay focused, and not fall asleep. It can also mess with your eating habits later on in the day – skipping breakfast means you’ll be very hungry later on, and we tend to indulge ourselves when we’re excessively hungry. What makes a good breakfast, you may ask? In general, a balanced breakfast with high protein and fiber content with little carbohydrates would do the trick. Eggs, oatmeal, and cereals high in fiber and low in sugar coupled with fruit juice are ideal.

Another interesting effect of skipping breakfast has to do with our threshold for pain. Short term food deprivation may play a role in sensitizing your body to pain, so if you’ve been wondering why those morning classes seem to physically hurt

now you know.

3. MAKE TIME FOR EXERCISE

I’m an athlete myself, and I’ll be the first to tell you, exercise is an awful lot of effort and time. As tedious as it sounds, it might be a good idea to get into the habit of regular exercise. Apart from the well known reduction in risks of cardiovascular disease later on in life, exercise boosts your immune system, brain power, and mood. It also helps improve self-confidence and body image. Importantly, exercise can reduce perceived levels of stress making quality of life significantly better.

4. DON’T STOP HAVING FUN AND BE YOURSELF

Sure, at times you’ll need to lay low for a week and spend your time prepping for an upcoming test or project. Nonetheless, it’s important to remember to take time for yourself. Be lazy. Go out, see your friends. There are two reasons why constant, ceaseless studying is bad for you. First, it puts you in a state of chronic stress that builds up and has you feeling worse and worse. Second is the fact that constant studying doesn’t actually get you what you want. There’s a physical limit on how much information your brain can retain, so taking regular breaks while studying will actually help you learn more!

At the end of the day, it comes back to you and what you think works best for you.

Now it’s time for your advice. Comment below on what you feel makes going back easy!