For many, the beginning of the school year is synonymous with anxiety. After a summer rhythm without any real constraints, especially in terms of time, the beginning of the school year can be a stressful time.

And why not approach it differently? Here are some non-exhaustive tips for surviving the back-to-school rush.

The slow back-to-school: choosing quality over quantity

Before you embark on this new cycle, take a moment to reflect on the life you want to lead. Active and stimulating or calm and focused? There are no wrong choices. Simply listen to yourself and respond to your needs. 

The slow back to school meets the principles of the slow life which is a philosophy of life centered on the values of the "here and now". Living in the present moment, privileging quality over quantity, allows you to take a different look at your existence and at what surrounds you. The slow re-entry invites you to return to the essentials, to take time , to slow down the pace. It encourages you to listen to yourself, to listen to your needs but also and above all to respect them. The slow re-entry is a perfectly applicable concept in our society where everything goes very fast or rather, I should say, must go very fast as soon as you make some small readjustments. Here are some of them.

Slow back to school: savor the back-to-school season and fill up on projects

Approach this time as one of renewal. It's like a new cycle is starting. Why not take advantage of this general momentum to start new personal and professional projects? Maybe it's time to take care of yourself, isn't it?

Anticipate in RVs as early as the 3rd week of August for a strategic re-entry.

• To avoid stress in the evening when you get home from school or work and feel overwhelmed, you can go to your primary care physician as early as the end of August for the medical certificates needed to play sports. Please note that these certificates of non-contraindication to a specific sport are valid for 2 years as long as you continue in the same discipline and your health has not changed since the issuance of this certificate.

• To save time, you can also pay the annual fee for school insurance before school starts. These papers will be used for the school and, if necessary, for the after-school care. Having them ahead of time is great!

• At the same time, why not take advantage of the association forums to register you and your children for the various sports and artistic activities that you have chosen beforehand? Especially since you will already be in possession of your medical certificate(s)...

Slow back to school: preparing your work environment

If possible, take advantage of your return from vacation to reorganize your workspace: declutter it, change the decoration, buy a cushion for a comfortable seat, small equipment, etc... 

The idea is to make your daily work life enjoyable and inspiring.

Indian Summer

Back to school resonates for many as the end of the holidays and therefore the end of summer and the arrival of gray, rainy and monotonous days... Think again! It is common for August to be the overtime month in September. It is still time to take advantage of the remaining beautiful days to go to work or to accompany the children to school on foot or by bike, to, after a day spent locked up, take a walk in the park, stroll in your village or stroll on the terrace.

For parents: tips for the upcoming school year.

Many schools hand out the school supply list in July. It's worth getting started early in the vacations to release your mind from what is perceived as the drudgery (sorting out the materials and buying the rest)...

In addition, more and more parents' associations offer group purchases of supplies, which is financially attractive and relieves the burden of purchasing and the risk of making mistakes between large and small squares or not finding that famous spiral notebook that is essential for the SVT class...

As you'll have gathered, slow back to school is the art of slowing down the frantic whirlwind that you feel sucked into every time you return to school. It is also an opportunity to review one's priorities and why not, to establish all year long this spirit embodied by the Slow Life.