BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM
Remember the flutter of excitement before the first day of school? The smell of new books, a carefully chosen outfit, and the sense that anything could happen? That back-to-school buzz isn’t just for kids. With a little creativity, you can capture it right now, even if your school days are far behind you.
Turn meal prep into a creative ritual
Think of it as adult lunchbox fun. Kevin Curry of FitMenCook preps versatile basics like chickpeas, chicken, jasmine rice, and leafy greens, and mixes them into new combinations daily. “With those five foods, I made about ten different meal combinations,” he says. Switch up sauces, from tangy tahini to smoky barbecue, for a quick mood lift.
Curate your closet with intention
A closet revamp is often in the cards when it comes to back-to-school season. As an adult, instead of impulse shopping, give your wardrobe a thoughtful edit. Actor and YouTuber Asia Jackson suggests asking, “Do you feel good in this item? Do you look good in this item?” Use the pieces that pass the test as anchors for your personal style refresh.
Start your mornings with a book
Starting the day off with some thought-provoking reads is something we often leave behind with our school days. Trade the more common sleepy bedtime read for an energizing morning chapter. NPR’s culture correspondent Lynn Neary recommends weekend mornings especially: “It’s a nice way to start your day,” she says.
Make to-do lists that actually work
If you miss writing out daily tasks in your school agenda, then the adult equivalent is an efficient to-do list. Angel Trinidad, founder of Passion Planner, says that the secret to to-do lists that work are making sure they’re comprised of tasks that are clear, short, and doable. To cut the fat, she swears by the two-minute rule: if it takes less than two minutes, do it immediately.
Once you’ve identified the bigger tasks, Oliver Burkeman, author of Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals, suggests breaking them down into more specific steps. According to Burkeman, to-do lists don’t work because they’re too vague, saying, “We don’t get them done because we’re not expressing them in a doable form.”
Rediscover the joy of play
Play doesn’t have to be a grand gesture. Stuart Brown of the National Institute for Play says even noticing the shapes in clouds counts. If you’re struggling to figure out what kind of play will work for you as an adult, ask yourself what you loved to do at recess as a child, and bring a slice of that into your life.
Build friendships with bold kindness
Meeting new friends in your adult years can be challenging. It’s easy to think that everyone already has their friends, but, according to advice columnist Heather Havrilesky, the best thing to do is to assume exactly the opposite. Remember, friendship starts with vulnerability. That awkward first text to invite someone out? It’s the first step to building something meaningful.
Fall offers the perfect backdrop for reinvention. By blending the curiosity of youth with the agency of adulthood, you can make every season feel like a fresh start.
