A new school year is approaching and we are often swamped by a mix of emotions –

1. Overwhelming feelings
2. Nervousness
3. Excitement
4. Feeling upset

We feel overwhelmed by a huge list of courses and teachers we know almost nothing about – not to mention new syllabi, textbooks, classroom structures, teaching styles, passwords/usernames and rules for new school technology, and many other materials.

We feel excitement – each new beginning is like a blank slate and there’s nothing more freedom-inducing than a new adventure. We also feel excited to see old friends, maybe a newly assigned iPad, new notebooks, a fresh set of pens/pencils, colorful erasers, and possibly our own set of folders.

We feel nervous – the meeting of two phases, summer vacation and school, is a transition. Transitions bring up memories and ingrained patterns of reacting to impending change. We may also feel nervous by this new adventure – it is filled with unknowns – who knows what the year holds in store for!

We feel upset – there’s a sadness of a summer bygone and perhaps painful memories from the previous school years resurface.

All these emotions at the transition between summer vacation and the new school year can be exhausting, draining, and tiring. This probably means we should seek the solace of long restful sleep, “doing-nothing” time, and just simply self care in one major form:

ELIMINATING EXCESS

According to the philosophy of an ancient tradition called Ayurveda, originating in the foothills of the Himalayas, the root of much of our modern dis-ease (lack of ease that builds up and overflows into actual disease) is the problem of excess in our culture – excess processed foods, excess stimulation of our senses through sound and sight, and excess mental and physical activity. For us, this time of year is already filled with excess stimulation causing nervousness, overwhelming feelings, excitement, and upset feelings, among many others. The stimulation produced by the transition to the new school year is sufficient to be called by its name (without icing the cake): excess. 

Never-ending stimuli tire the mind and body.

The reality is that this excess stimulation of the mind and nervous system – by an influx of new demands and emotions – is an inevitable part of the transition. However, we can eliminate excesses that drain us more by stimulating our mind and brain. Off the top of my head, I can think of a running list of stimuli that we could do without for the next few weeks until we complete the transition from summer to school:

1. Twitter
2. Instagram
3. Snapchat
4. Facebook
5. Ever-flowing “Breaking News” on news channels
6. Gossiping
7. Frantic traveling
8. Shopping for things that we do not need
9. People around us that “push our buttons” (while you can’t completely avoid these people, you could definitely begin to create a mental separation)
10. Clutter in your closets, drawers, and rooms
11. Not getting fresh air
12. Too many movies (especially scary or violent) and TV shows

Action for this post:

1. Reflect on one stimulus that engages your mind in activity – some things we do make our minds think and compare and think and analyze and think and regret and not rest at all. This is the activity I am talking about.
2. For the next few weeks, remove or minimize – to the best of your ability – the stimulus. It could be excessive texting, shopping, snap-chatting, gossiping, etc.

Note: For many students, school also feels like a safe haven – a way to escape hardships. This does not negate the presence of excess stimulation. So, perhaps, if you find yourself in this situation, you can find something in your summer as it ends that “sets you off” and see if you can minimize your interaction with that stimulus. It will prepare you for the year to come.

All of this is hard work – you will feel the impulse to return to the stimulus you choose because you are so used to its presence. But letting go and eliminating excess is meant to be an uncomfortable process. We may dream of letting go as a feeling of flying like birds with full freedom – the reality is that it takes perseverance and we must sit with discomfort. You can always refer to the meditations on my site if they help in reducing the discomfort of letting go… or simply turn on some relaxing music, meet with a friend with whom you have a nourishing connection, lay down and close your eyes, or go for a walk in the sun!