Ah, the October Slump—the big sleep—everyone’s enemy. So many people have fallen victim to this epidemic of exhaustion that comes right around the end of October and into the beginning of November. Don’t worry, it’s not just in your heads, it’s a real thing that everyone experiences. Right around October is the time when the optimism for the new school year and energy of the summer begin to dwindle and fade, sending everyone, students and teachers alike into a state of no-energy.

Luckily, there are ways to combat the October Slump.

Step one is to set goals for yourself. What are you looking forward to in the coming weeks? Any sporting events or get-togethers with friends? Look forward to those and start anticipating them so that the coming days will fly by in a breeze. Seriously, you won’t believe how fast time goes when you have something to look forward to.

Also, try to stay on top of your work. It’s very easy to fall behind when you feel like you have no energy and are drained. Don’t give in. Resist the tempting urge to slack and ignore all your responsibilities. They’ll just pile up and you’ll be even more overwhelmed than you may be now. They’ll have to be done eventually, just do them now.

Remember to take frequent breaks. Although you’ll need to get your work done, it’s okay to acknowledge that you’re tired and need a small coffee break. Just make sure you’re returning to the desk or table or whatever it is you’re working at to complete your task.

Lastly, persevere. This slump only lasts a few weeks at most and, before you know it, Thanksgiving and Winter break will be interrupting school to give you that sweet relief of rest. Counting down from now, we have about three weeks until we get a week off for Thanksgiving and then it’s just an easy cruise from there.

We will all get through this together, just you wait and see. Start counting down the days cause soon the slump will end and you’ll be feeling better and like you can finish this semester and the next with a bang!

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