September Overwhelm: Why This Month Feels So Heavy
This feels a bit of a funny week for me. We’re now fully in September, kids are probably back at school, or going back this week, you’re trying to get back into a routine, your summer holiday probably feels like an eternity ago and those feelings of overwhelm are starting to creep up again.
Hands up if this sounds familiar? Rather than reach for the wine, as tempting as that might be, how about you view things differently?
- Write everything down. Getting it all out of your head and onto paper means you’re already taking action.
- Is everything on your to-do list essential? Is any of it time sensitive? Does it all have to be done by you? By working out what needs to be done, when and by whom, means you can allocate and spread the load and it takes the pressure off you.
- Is it fun? I get we all have chores and life admin but we need to sprinkle in fun and moments of joy too.
- Where’s the self-care/exercise/me time? If you find yourself constantly at the bottom of your to-do list, by scheduling time for yourself, you’re demonstrating, not only to yourself but also to your loved ones that you’re important.
- Where’s the spontaneity? I find a need a routine and structure but I also like to change things up a bit. Is there scope for this?
- Breathe. Take some time for you and encourage your family to do this as well.
Find a Planning System That Works for You
Give this a go. It might not work for you and that’s OK. We all like to plan things differently and what’s right for one person isn’t right for another. I like to plan on paper. But maybe an app, such as Notion works for you, or perhaps you use Excel, or Google docs, and each member of your family has their own worksheet, or column. If it’s tried and tested and works for you, stick with it!
There’s a long few months ahead and we’re trying to reduce the overwhelm, share the load and hopefully not just get through, but thrive, as we navigate the changing seasons. If you need some help with this, please drop me an email and I’d love to support you.