Welcome to a new school year! It’s time for fresh composition books, unsharpened Ticonderoga pencils, new classes with new possibilities, and unexplored horizons. We may have the same backpacks, shoes, and academic pressures as last semester, but God reminds us, “His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning” (Lamentations 3:22-23). That means we can do our best to accept the grace of renewal at the start of this academic year and move forward with confidence as children of God.
New year, new me
It is a nice idea to think that when a new school year rolls around, we will not have to face the same problems again. We could wake up in August with a fresh perspective on life and “seek new friends and stranger companies,” as Shakespeare might say. What might that look like for you? How would your life change? What difference would it make for you moving forward?
Starting a new experience can offer much-needed change and fresh opportunities; however, it does not always remove past hardships. Many of us continue to encounter the same problems each semester, such as procrastination, bullying, academic and social pressures, or mental health issues like anxiety and depression. Even if we are lucky enough to overcome them, new challenges usually seem to surface in their place. So what can we do to maintain a sense of peace, joy, and confidence as we enter this new school year? Some things that have made a big difference in my life are: prayer, balance, restoration, and community.
Livin’ on a prayer
While it may seem apparent, prayer and meditation are among the most beneficial practices for us when we are facing new challenges. Prayer can feel intimidating if we are not used to it, but it is simply about quieting our minds, hearts, and electronics so that we can hear God’s voice and create space for self-reflection. Throughout the Bible, God reminds us that He wants to provide for us and help us maintain peace through all of life’s circumstances. We do not have to face our problems alone!
Try starting with 15 minutes of prayer when you wake up each day. If you are not sure where to begin, try one of these:
- Read your Bible
- The Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) are a good place to start
- Try Isaiah 41:10; Philippians 4:6-7; Romans 8:28; or Matthew 6:25-34
- Review the daily Gospel reading
- Pray the Lord’s Prayer (Our Father)
- Use a prayer app like Hallow, Ascension, or DivineOffice
- Stop by an Adoration Chapel on your way home from work or school
You can also think of PRAY as an acronym for Praise, Reconcile, Ask, and Yield. Praise means being grateful to God; Reconcile is about apologizing for our faults; Ask means telling God how we need His help; and Yield is about surrendering and trusting God to take care of everything.
Walking a tightrope
Another great way we can proactively approach the semester is by balancing our lives. If you are anything like me, you know how stressful it feels to be busy and overcommitted. Nothing leads to burnout and mental fatigue quite like living an imbalanced life. When we have to fit school, work, homework, extracurriculars, family time, friends, meals, and sleep into the same 24 hours, life can begin to feel like a misguided circus performance or a sports team without a coach. Bringing balance back into our lives through intentional scheduling and preparation can make a big difference. This can look different for each person depending on their particular goals and needs. For me, it’s important to carve out time for prayer, relaxation, and community once I account for my weekly responsibilities.
Planners and calendars can be really useful tools to help balance our lives. I use a calendar app where each color represents a different type of activity: green for work, blue for prayer, grey for exercise, yellow for community, and orange for important events. This lets me see where I am spending my time during a particular week. If I have devoted too much time to responsibilities and not enough to friends, I can make changes depending on my needs. Some weeks may look different than others, but the important thing is to try to find a balance between responsibilities (school, work, chores, etc.), community (family, friends, and dating relationships), and self-care (prayer, sleep, exercise, relaxation, etc.). Think about what you need and what works for you. Make it your own and have fun with it!
Take it easy
We all need space to catch our breath from time to time. When life becomes unbalanced, the first things that usually fall by the wayside are rest and self-care. That is why it is important to keep restoration in mind as we begin a new school year. Restoration is about making time for things that recharge our batteries – physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually, and socially. We touched on some elements of restoration in the previous section when we considered self-care. Prayer, sleep, exercise, and relaxation can all be expressions of restoration – whatever helps us feel refreshed and ready to engage with life. Restoration is different from simply “vegging out” or watching “brainrot” since those activities do not offer us much more than mindlessness. Think about how you feel after scrolling through TikTok or Instagram for two hours versus the feeling you get after a good meal, a hot shower, and a full night’s sleep. It hits different.
Just like balance, restoration can look different for everyone. Since the goal of restoration is to recharge our batteries, we can begin by paying attention to activities that offer rest, relaxation, healing, solitude, strength, joy, and peace. For example, if my goal is physical restoration, I may consider quality sleep, healthy eating, good hygiene, fresh air, sunlight, or a walk outside. These help my body feel restored. Mental restoration might look like stepping away from my devices to touch grass or taking a 15-minute break from my studies. Emotional restoration could include talking to a loved one, listening to music, watching a funny movie, or crying it out. For spiritual restoration, we can look to the previous section on prayer. Eucharistic Adoration and worship music can also support spiritual restoration. Social restoration is somewhat unique because extroverted individuals may need time around people to feel restored, while an introverted person often requires solitude. These are just some suggestions. You should ultimately learn what restores you so you can do that.
With a little help from my friends
Whether you are introverted or extroverted, everyone needs the support of a good community. I realize this can be a difficult subject when it comes to school environments due to cliques, bullying, social pressures, and the awkwardness of trying to build real-world relationships when so much of life happens online. At the same time, humans are designed to need other humans for support, mentorship, and camaraderie. Having a community to count on makes a big difference when facing the natural challenges of life. This does not mean that we need to be part of the popular crowd in school or to have deep friendships with our classmates.
Community can come in a variety of forms, like having a favorite teacher I can trust, being buddies with the janitor, sitting with the same person at lunch every day, smiling at the librarian, or having friends I hang out with regularly. I can find community at school, in my neighborhood, at home, at my church, or by participating in extracurricular activities. Ultimately, we want to have friends we enjoy spending time with who also encourage us to be better people, but having friendships based on utility and common interests is also important. If you find it difficult to make friends, bring that up in prayer. Ask God for help finding like-minded people who will support you. You can also try participating in activities or groups that focus on things you enjoy in order to meet new people with similar interests.
Whatever you are feeling as you begin this semester, practicing habits of prayer, balance, restoration, and community can support you on this journey. Spend time talking to your family or Communio group members about how they use these practices in their lives. You may even discover a new favorite habit!
Soundtrack this blog:
- Reputation – Judah & the Lion
- Livin’ on a prayer – Bon Jovi
- Not in a hurry – Will Reagan
- Walking a tightrope – Michelle Williams
- Slow down – Forrest.
- Take it easy – Eagles
- Just me – Dante Brown
- With a little help from my friends – The Beatles
- Slow down – Jonathan Ogden
Some good reads:
- Thirsting for Prayer – Jacques Philippe
- Off Balance – Matthew Kelly
- The Art of Rest – Claudia Hammond
- The Secret Garden – Frances Hodgson Burnett
- The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe – CS Lewis
- Winnie the Pooh – AA Milne (don’t knock it till you try it, Pooh is a wise bear)