It’s back to school time here, a time that I have looked forward to since school was let out last June. So why do I feel the blahs? As soon as the older kids left for the bus stop, I thought I would be golden. I’d get so much work done and get the house back in order after the summer mess. But I’m exhausted. I can’t concentrate or focus. I’ve lost all motivation and inspiration. Why?
Summer and the end of the summer and getting ready for school is exhausting. Making sure each kid – 2 of which had 2 pages of school supplies needed, as well as some new clothes, lunches need to be made. Need to deal with how each kid feels about going back to school, because each kid is different and has different excitement and fears. Then there is baseball and hockey practice, birthday parties, doctor appointments, and so much more. I am exhausted.
In a perfect world I would be able to have a few days off to decompress, get the house in order after the madness of summer. But this world is not perfect. I work for myself, so I don’t have time off unless I don’t want to get paid. I have clients expecting projects to be done. I have loads and loads of laundry to do.
So how do I stop from spiraling into a panic attacking thinking about all that needs to be done, while feeling so tired and anxious that I can’t move? I just want to sit in the silence. I decided to give myself time and grace. My body and mind are telling me that I need to take it slow. I need sleep and I need rest to be able to tackle all that there is to do with a clear mind. So, on the first day of school, I took a nap. It wasn’t long but was wonderful. After I felt a little more rested to be able to get the tasks done for that day.
It is important to remind myself that I cannot do everything. I need to give myself time to get back into the swing of a new schedule. It’s the only way I can stop the panic attack before it happens. Putting my mask on before others as this airplane goes down, LOL, maybe not the best reference, but you get it.
Giving grace takes some of the stress and anxiety away, making it easier to focus on the task at hand. I can only do so much; I cannot do it all. I pick the tasks that I need to complete today and work on those first. If I can’t concentrate, I try any of the following to reset my mind and try to focus better.
- Meditate
- Take a nap
- Walk
- Turn my phone ringer off
- Stay off the social media worm hole
- List out all the tasks so I can check off what I’ve done and helps to focus
- Take breaks – work for 45 minutes without distraction, then take a break.
So for this week I am working on getting to bed a little earlier, and giving myself grace. It will all get done, but not everything needs to get done right now. I will have more focus and motivation if I take care of my mind and body. That is the only way I will have the stamina to get my tasks completed and stay on course to grow my business.
Happy back to school time – here’s to a great school year for everyone!