Hey, it's Rachel Cook, your modern mentor. I founded Lead Above Noise in 2014 to help companies

retain, engage, and develop their talent. Because talent is the key to workplace success.

And I love showing up each week to share some of my insights with you. Which brings us to today.

Today, we're going to talk about some survival skills

that we can all use to manage through the chaos of the back-to-school season. We all feel that

whiplash-worthy shift from summer into fall. Let's start with a fun, random Rachel fact.

I do not watch horror movies. They scare the living daylights out of me.

Even the 80s ones where the blood looks kind of like melted jello. I just can't handle those

jump scares, you know, those moments when the bad guy leaps out and does some scary thing.

And it's pretty ridiculous because I always know it's coming. But still, it triggers the sweats and the shakes, so I stick to rom-coms.

I have a similar experience each year when back-to-school season hits, like a ton of bricks. I always know

it's coming, but it scares the living daylights out of me, triggering its own brand of sweats and shakes.

This, however, is a little bit less avoidable than Freddie Kruger.

And I know I'm not alone here.

I also know this isn't just a thing that impacts parents.

Even if you don't have kids or yours have grown and flown,

this change of season from mellow, roll with it summer, to a sudden

shift into high gear because Q4 is around the corner, it's a real doozy for all of us.

But this year isn't my first rodeo, and I've got some strategies under the belt that I've honed

over the years.

So let's talk about how to survive and,

hey, let's even shoot for thrive in this season of sweaters and notebooks and just a little

...