It’s FALL! It is finally cooler, and the days are becoming shorter. If you are anything at all like me, you are already burned out about the school year – the parent-teacher conferences, the homework, and the best and worst of all extra-curricular activities. Yes, there are still a significant amount of activities our children participate in even while slowing down a smidge. Here are a few ways that I am keeping it together in the chaos fall this year.
Knowing my limits
I know that we all think that we are supermom every now and again, and I’ve definitely been accused of it a time or three, so it’s important to know where your breaking point is. Set your own boundaries and stick to them.
Saying No
No is a sentence all by itself. There is no explanation required. As a recovering people pleaser, I absolutely know how difficult this is. I would always worry that if I didn’t volunteer for this, that or the other thing for my children’s school or activity, etc., my boys would be viewed a certain way. If I added one more thing to my plate right now, I would be no good to anyone. Keeping it together really does rely on my ability to hold my own self accountable too!
Limiting bad habits
This is one of the hardest ones for me. It is the easiest one to fall back on for comfort when I am feeling low but it often has consequences for feeling bad long term. My worst habit is caffeine so remembering to limit my coffee intake is crucial. It’s hard to have a cranky afternoon from coffee withdrawal if I never put it in my body in the first place. Now I am not saying I never have coffee, just not 3 triple ventis a day.
Practicing Self Care
I can’t emphasize this enough. This time of year can be completely hectic and squeezing in time for myself can be harder than expected sometimes. When there are different kids to get different places all at the same time – the chaos of fall is in full swing and that can make self care pretty hard. For all of us, it means something different. For some of us, going out to lunch with a girlfriend does the trick. For others, it’s a spa day and for others, it’s curling up with a good book and a glass of wine with no little people around. For me, it’s a glass of wine and a phone call with a friend that lives miles away – or getting a fantastic design on my nails (you should see all my plans on my Pinterest Board – YES! It’s ok to have a Pinterest board for your nails).
Breathe
And hide in the bathroom. Seriously. Often my sense of frustration can be amplified when a child is within feet of me. Keeping it together may seem impossible in those moments. There are many times when I have stopped in my tracks and took a deep breath – literally, centered my self-readjusted my game face on, and continued on.
Knowing that I can do anything
It may not always go how I plan, but most amazingly it all gets done. I am a good mom, a tired mom, but a good mom. It isn’t easy by any means, but I can really do anything that I decide I want to do. And there is the magic.
You are amazing, mama! You got this!
