Is September the real New Year? Tips to reset for school, work surge

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- The New Year isn't technically until January, but isn't there something about September that feels more like the New Year?

From back to school to the often hard turn from summer to fall, to the adjustment to new schedules around the house and at work, maybe this is the real New Year.

A Marlton-based mental health coach says this is the perfect time for a reset for all of us and some real self-care.

"First and foremost, it's not selfish, it's important to engage in self-care every single day," says Mindie Barnett.

That means something different to everyone.

"You have to take time for yourself so that you're not running out of fuel," she says.

Barnett says you can start by setting a morning alarm for you.

"If you get up, even 30 minutes earlier in the morning before the alarm would normally go off, and just meditate, breathe, drink your coffee in quiet, look at the sunrise," she says. "Sit and read a really good book. Do anything that you can do to sort of calm your mind."

Get it all in before the stresses of the day. Wake up and take the reigns.

"It also helps with burnout," she says, "which is on the rise."

Next, it's time to take a fresh look at your "plate."

What's on it? What can you remove to lighten your own load?

Think about things like working off hours. Barnett says to check in sporadically but set boundaries.

"Make a pact with yourself to only check your email on your computer, that's much more intentional," she says. "You're still being responsible, but you're not doing it all day, all the time."

The same goes for a social media cleanse.

"I'm not saying to go dark for an extensive period of time," Barnett says. "But if you take say, the evening hours and you like to scroll and look and see what everybody's up to, take away one night a week of not doing that. That will help in tremendous ways."

Extend that detox to real life, protecting not only your time but your energy and peace.

"This is going to sound mean, but it's important to edit who is in your friend group," she says. "Think about who isn't bringing you value, who is making you feel bad, and who's taking more than they're giving."

When it comes to these self-care goals, she says to go slowly and start small.

"It's better to take little bites that eventually become a big chunk," she says, "as opposed to setting a goal that may be unrealistic, and then you're setting yourself up to not reach that goal."

Here's one more thing to consider when it comes to sparking joy: pick an activity from your childhood that brought you joy and bring it back into your life, even just once a month.