Get back into the swing of things without getting tired…
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Do you find hard to return to the usual routine without feeling tired when the children go back to school?
Just thinking about it makes you feel tired, and the journey home after the holidays has put you into a foul mood… as well as the children who can also sense that summer is coming to an end. Hurry – it’s time to organise the back to school rush without the fatigue!
We went out looking for professional advice about how to make the road back to school easier on ourselves and on the children and how to keep a little sunshine in our heads until the end of September. Follow our guide on how to get back into the swing of things without feeling exhausted:
“Return to the usual routines gently” advises Sophie, who is a paediatrician. There’s no need to yell “Everyone in bed at 8 o’clock” from the rooftops.
It’s unrealistic and depressing. Simply cut down on the outings, start going to bed at a reasonable hour and set the alarm clock a little earlier each morning. Ideally, you should do this over the course of one week. You also need to get back to the usual rhythm when it comes to mealtimes, as this will assist the process.”
So, start the picnic on the beach a little earlier. We particularly love the idea of doing things gently without brandishing the dreaded Back to School spectre all the time. This works for adults as well as children.
- Get back into your routine while still on holidays
What? Unfortunately, it is unrealistic on your part to think that you are going to go straight home and start getting up every morning to meditate, run or spend some excellent quality time with your child over the cornflakes. “It takes several weeks to adopt a new habit, and a very busy time like the back to school period doesn’t offer the best circumstances under which to establish new routines” advises Jean, a business coach.
So whatever your new project may be, you should get it up and running without delay. If you want more time in the morning, then start this week. If you want to establish a new bedtime routine with the kids, then this is also the right time to do it!
- Get yourself into long-term project mode
The back to school period is a complicated organisational time (but it will be much easier once you download our Coorganiz application that simplifies group organisation!), so you need to have realistic expectations. “Make a note of what you want to accomplish during the new school year when it begins. In 10 months’ time, what would you like to have done or changed?
It is simpler to project oneself into a realistic period of time, one that allows you to set stages.” It’s true that making new resolutions that we never keep at this busy time is as exhausting as it is frustrating. For example, starting a new sports or leisure activity, or a training course: if you plan it over one year, you can have a realistic weekly rhythm or get started in October without stressing about it…. and not find yourself like you did last year at the end of September with a Zumba subscription that you haven’t used, making you feel useless.
- No more procrastination!
From now until school starts, let’s try not to put off until tomorrow those little everyday chores. This is an excellent exercise in personal discipline and it’s an easy way to add a little positivity to each day. Teaching your children how to switch on the washing machine is fascinating – you’ll see!
All joking aside, heading back to work or school with clean clothes, paid bills and purchased supplies is conducive to a relaxed mind. Letting everything go and saying that it will all work out in the end, we’ll do it later… is a recipe for exhaustion, and the domestic arguments that go with it…
- Plan the chores for September:
“Writing things down and organising them is liberating for your brain,” coach Veronica tells us. Take the advice to heart this year! Make a list – doctor, hairdresser, activities, shoes, sport… along with your sport, your outings and your time as parents….
And remember to share the burden: if your other half needs a haircut get a group appointment! If you need new trainers, then make it a sports shopping expedition! And your mother has no equal when it comes to choosing shoes, and she will undoubtedly be a lot more patient in handling the chore of shopping for the children than you, considering that you want to enjoy your weekend after the first week back at work.
Anyway, you get the picture – delegate and anticipate! Have you shared out the chores? Send a message attributing them in Coorganiz, because in two weeks’ time, everyone will have forgotten what you said and you will slip back into the last minute spiral…. doing everything yourself and featuring in Emma’s comic strip due to the crazy mental load you have to carry. What a cliché!
Reward time!!
Choose some pleasant moments to get you through September with something to look forward to. “Beware of falling into the mistake of planning things every weekend,” warns Heloise, a busy mother of twins. “Last year we planned three weekends in a row to escape from the September blues and I was on my knees by the end.”
So, choose quality moments depending on your taste and plan them carefully: cinema tickets, a beauty appointment, dinner with friends, or whatever you like! Let’s do it! Everyone else is still in their deck chairs so you will get the best bookings.
So, that’s everything for a fatigue-free September, with a certain amount of organisation all the same, but as you know, here at Coorganiz we think that it’s the best way to get things done without doing everything yourself!
And for those of you who want to make the back to school period even more organised, here are some other articles to read:
