Hey, it's Rachel Cook, your modern mentor. And today, we are going to talk about the chaos of the back to school season. This season can be so incredibly demanding. So today, I'm going to share a little bit of my own experience and advice for easing into the fall season with grace. These tips will help you balance high productivity

with a sense of humanity. Let me know how your back-to-school experience is going.

Pop onto the Modern Mentor podcast page on LinkedIn and drop me a comment. I respond to everything.

Every change in season commands a change in energy, and the transition from summer to fall may be the

most demanding. Though we always know it's coming, there is something jarring about watching

the languid days of summer button themselves into the rigor and structure of fall. And this year's

transition is more complex and consequential because, well, you know, uh, yes, we are still in a pandemic.

Working parents with still healing battle scars are once again waiting through the uncertainty around

back to school. Business forecasts and customer behavior remain hard to anticipate. To return or

not to return to the office continues to haunt, and we can't seem to

collectively kick burnout and loneliness. Whether or not you have kids, this season can punch you in the

face if you let it. So let's all agree not to let it. Fall demands that we shift into high gear,

but bumping up productivity shouldn't mean losing our sense of

self-preservation. I've been running a workshop with leaders to help them implement strategies

to support their teams in finding productive and self-loving ways of working. Today, let's talk about

how you can apply the workshop's principles for your team or for yourself. It's grounded in the

four P's, people, priorities, practices, and promises. Let's dive into each one. We'll start with people.

People refers to you and anyone who relies on you to be whole and present. This may be a team you lead or your family,

your students, your community of faith, your customers, etc. Summer for many of us provides a bit of

healing space. We breathe easier, we take in more sunshine, we travel or we staycation. We have

barbecues with friends. We refuel our emotional tanks, and the fall seems to

want to push us back to empty. So before the chaos of back-to-school season overtakes you,

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