Overwhelmed, Unmotivated and Completely Off-Schedule
Are you feeling it too? The pressure to get back to reality mixed with the desire to stay in your pajamas watching Christmas movies and eating junk? Me too!
For the past two weeks my son was on Winter Break from school. Somehow, this felt like a break for me as well. No packing school lunches, no pick-ups and drop-offs, no school night bedtime schedule. And because he’s a teenager (who didn’t want to hang with his mom), I had much more freedom than usual. I spent my days walking along the ocean, watching the whales. I spent my evenings watching TV and listening to audiobooks.
Little by little, day by day, I got further and further away from my usual routine. I skipped my morning yoga, I put off doing chores, I went to bed later and later and my hour walks began lasting half the day. And next thing you know, I found myself in the “holiday time warp,” unsure of what day or time it was. And now that my son is returning to school tomorrow, it feels impossible to get back to the rhythm and routines of our normal life.
If you’re feeling this way too, here is what I want to offer you:
Think of one small change you can make and start there - Instead of overwhelming yourself by going from one extreme to another, choose one part of your routine/schedule/to-do list that you have gotten away from and baby step your way back to it. Here are some examples:
To get back to your bedtime routine, start with setting the time you will go to bed.
To get back to meal prepping for the week, start with prepping for the next day.
To get back to your exercise schedule, start with scheduling your next workout.
To get back to your to-do list, choose one item to tackle first.
As my late husband used to say, “think about how long it took you to get here. You’re not going to change it overnight.”
And if you need support getting there, I’m here for you.
You’ve got this. I believe in you.
Suzanne