Tips to Energize Your Fall Schedule

Go Back to School Routine Healthy & Rested

It's back to school and work with the fall schedule shifting from relaxation to responsibility. The joy of sleeping in and living on your own schedule has given way to living and working on someone else's timeline.

While making the switch from summer mode to busy back-to-school life is never easy, there are ways to survive it. Here are some tips to make sure you have enough energy to sprint for the bus, stay awake through calculus and get through homework at the end of the day.

Take a multivitamin daily. Since the cafeteria and the vending machine don't exactly cut it in the nutrition department, a multivitamin is a great way to get the essentials quick. Formulas generally contain 100% of your daily requirements, so even if your diet is less than perfect, you can give yourself a little nutrition boost. The teenage body has its own unique needs, so ask your family pharmacist which multivitamin is right for you.

Quiet time. Studies show that unwanted noise - like your brother's stereo - can cause blood pressure and stress hormones to rise in your body. Try to find a quite spot for a few minutes each day, even if it's as simple as a 10-minute break with your iPod on full blast to help you tune everything out.

Easy on the mid-day caffeine. Whether you need a dose of caffeine because of an all-night cramming session or an early morning basketball practice, remember that every caffeine high has a caffeine low. Avoid the post-caffeine slump whether you're midway through the school day or heading home. Also, taper off your intake later in the day, since it might interfere with a good night's sleep.

Hit the home spa. Relaxing can be a tough job - especially if your allowance or part-time job doesn't give you enough for extravagant spa spending. Luckily you can stock up on some self-indulgent spa products such as bath salts, aromatherapy lotions, cooling gel eye pads and facial beauty masks - so you're always ready to relax no matter how much homework you have.

Stay hydrated. One of the first signs of even mild dehydration is fatigue. So make sure to drink enough water. Keep a bottle in your locker or backpack for easy access to fluids. Plain H2O isn't always the most exciting beverage, so spice it up by drinking tea or any one of the growing number of flavoured water products.