This article originally appeared on: The Uprising Blog
It’s that time of year again. You’re ushering children out the door and onto the bus and battling the uptick in traffic on your commute, all while sadly saying goodbye to beach days and barbecues.
Back to school time sees kids nervously entering new classrooms, but for you, it means the habits you’ve developed over the summer likely need some adjustments. Don’t let the stress of new routines overwhelm you or throw off the healthy habits you’ve formed over the summer. Understand habit change and recognize the warning signs of burnout and you can help make the seasonal shift a breeze.
Habit Change 101
When it comes to forming healthy habits, it takes a mix of three factors, according to Dr. B.J. Fogg, director at the Stanford Persuasive Technology Lab and Virgin Pulse Science Advisory Board member. An intended behavior first needs a trigger – and the more positive the immediate emotional response, the better.
It’s then a matter of ability and motivation. Make a habit easy to do – think simple task, now think even simpler. Ability is much easier to account for than trying to consistently find motivation. Even the least motivated employee can keep up with building habits day in and day out when small, simple steps are taken.
As schedules and priorities begin to change, focusing on the final key to behavior change – revision – becomes more important than ever. Your triggers may need to change. Maybe habits that were easy over the summer no longer are, and that morning run alarm is better set to late afternoon now.
When you design and revise your targeted behavior changes with these approaches in mind, even the most drastic changes in routines won’t throw off your habits.
Advanced Stress Management Strategies
If you push through routines that no longer work – while still attempting to manage the rest of life’s demands – it’s a perfect recipe for burnout. But knowing the signs can save a lot of headaches down the road.
One of many symptoms of burnout to be on the watch for? If you’re a regular go-getter employee and suddenly become a detached, reclusive one. And if those attributes shift to outward pessimism, you’re at even greater risk of burnout.
Help make the back to school transition easier – while keeping your healthy habits and stress levels in check – by looking to flexible work policies. Giving employees the option to adjust their hours or telecommute so they can get the kids on the bus can make all the difference. What’s more, 89 percent of employees say their best ideas happen outside the office, and flexible work arrangements can cut business costs by up to 13 percent – meaning everyone wins.
Skip the shot nerves this back to school season. Support your healthy habits and stress levels by helping make your new routines a little easier and taking advantage of policies and programs that aim to improve all areas of life.
