OK, don’t click away just yet. So you’re not a student? Fine. But do you live in an internet-less cave? Probably not since you’re reading this. You’ve spent 18-plus years of your life associating summer with relaxation and with fall as a season of renewal. It’s literally ingrained in your brain. Yes, even though it has been years since backpacks, book covers, and passing notes, your brain still thinks this way. I remember my first summer after graduating and starting a full-time job. It felt like something was off. Like, I should be more excited for summer. But I wasn’t because my day-to-day schedule felt exactly the same.
But your brain still wants to take part in the closing of summer and the start of fall, am I right? This, my friends, is called back-to-school syndrome. I didn’t make it up. It’s a real thing, I promise!
After elementary school, middle school, high school, and then even more school with college and graduate school, that’s a large chunk of your life spent thinking September meant a season of change. A lot of people feel the urge to make a big life change. It’s like New Year’s resolutions, but with less alcohol involved.
Here are a few things you shouldn’t do when going through Back-To-School Syndrome:
- Throw out all of your summer clothes
- Give in to the urge to cut bangs
- Sign up for a 5k
- Move to a new city
- Buy a fake Christmas tree in “preparation.”
- Quit your job to chase your dream of being a YouTube influencer
Listen, many of those things are great when done with a clear state of mind. I’m all for cleaning out your closet or incorporating more fitness into your routine. I’m just saying hold off on anything that you could potentially regret, like three weeks from now once the magic of fall has burned off.
Here’s what you can do instead to maximize Back-To-School Syndrome:
- Move your furniture around for a fresh perspective
- Start a Pinterest board for Halloween costumes
- Switch up your beauty routine with new fall products
- Go for a run once a week
- Sign up for a creative workshop—floral arranging, watercolors, macrame. Something new!
- Throw a fun fall brunch party with your girlfriends
- Get down with a new DIY project
- Learn how to cook or bake a seasonal dish you’ve never made before
Look, September is basically a downhill slide into Christmas anyway, so don’t make any irrational life decisions until at least November, OK?