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We’re all familiar with the flurry of buying new supplies, opening class schedules, planning lunch box meals, organizing backpacks, meeting new friends, picking out a first day outfit…

In France, “back to school” is even bigger than that.

La Rentrée as they call it, translates to “The Return”- a new beginning for all, not just students. Office employees, storefronts, restaurants, and sports teams all see September as their opportunity for a fresh start. La Rentrée is a mass re-entry after the quiet and relaxed pace of summer. The early days of fall signal that it’s time to pick the pace back up and find a productive rhythm.

If positioned right, September can mark an even more refreshing restart than New Year’s Day- which is the traditional calendar milestone we use to pledge ourselves to healthier and more disciplined habits. Here’s why: January is often a welcome relief after a season of heavy spending, overeating, holiday parties, houseguests, and brutal weather. September, however, comes to us when we tend to have been living a little bit of a slower life. We’ve gotten a little sunshine on our faces, enjoyed grocery stores overflowing with fresh fruit and flowers. Many of us even got out of town for a vacation. Summer leaves us well primed for a new beginning.

In this month’s newsletter, we want to give you some ideas for adapting Back to School principles at work and claiming fall as a season to return to rhythm.

 

Set up your calendar.

When it comes to organizing your dates and assignments, try something different from your usual routine. Here are some ideas:

• Color code. Use highlighters or colored pencils in your agenda notebook or try out the shading functions on your Outlook or Google calendar. You might block out meetings with gray and urgent deadlines with red. Maybe you prefer pastels (pink for personal obligations, green for tasks relating to an ongoing project). Pick your colors and use them across all of your lists, journals, and online organizers. Not only is it satisfying looking at a jewel-toned To Do list but also, it makes it easier for you to check your progress and evaluate where you’re spending your time.
• Keep a “Put in Calendar” list. All day long we’re getting dates thrown at us and it’s distracting to open the calendar every time. If you receive a date or a deadline, jot it down in your notebook and pick one time of day (that evening, or the next morning) to enter those items into your online calendar, adding reminders where necessary.
• Organize a daily schedule. First thing in the morning, write down everything you have to do- from work to home- and then put them in order by time of day you hope to have them completed. Decide how you want to organize your working hours, but don’t forget the personal tasks too. You might know you need to put new flowers in the pot on your porch, but telling yourself you’ll do it after work might ensure you really get it done.

 

Make friends.
Having friends at the office doesn’t only make your work experience more satisfying, it’s also a way to keep a robust network and an ear to the ground about different opportunities around the organization such as job details, shadowing opportunities, and even incentive programs. Get out from behind your desk every now and then to maybe read in a common area or eat lunch in the cafeteria. Try to remember people’s names and details about their lives outside of work so you can ask questions that show your interest. Offer to help when you hear colleagues who are stuck on a project or hoping for a second pair of eyes to review something. Being helpful is both kind and memorable.

 

Freshen up your wardrobe. Brightening up your closet doesn’t require a shopping spree. Take the old capsule wardrobe approach: pull together your best fitting, well-made pieces, and organize them in their own section of the closet where it makes it easy for you to mix and match. To maximize their functionality, follow these steps:

1. Select around 20 basics that fit your style and your office dress code.
2. Make sure you can see each of the clothing items you selected- which is why hanging these items in a closet instead of folding them into a drawer works best.
3. Consider how each piece can be mixed and matched with the other items you’ve designated.
4. Consider accessories that can be included such as jewelry, neckties, shoes.
5. When buying new clothes, be selective. If buying a shirt or pants, think about whether they complement other parts of your capsule wardrobe. Aim for items that can be paired with at least five other items.
6. Rotate items out as the weather changes, or they become worn.

 

Get some sleep!

We can’t over emphasize the value of a good night’s sleep. Aim for 7-9 hours per night and keep your bedtime and wake up time consistent. The Sleep Foundation makes these recommendations:

• Get at least 30 minutes of exposure to daylight each day.
• If you’re a napper, limit them to 20 minutes.
• Maintain a healthy diet with fruits, vegetables, and lean meats.
• Learn a relaxation technique to calm down at the end of the night.

Your room should be clean and well-ventilated. Turn off all lights and put your phone away. Set your bedding up in a way that makes you most comfortable. If you’ve tried everything and it still isn’t working after 20 minutes, get up and do something low-key (and not involving technology!) and try again.