back to school Schedule
It’s August, which means the kids are back to school, colleagues are back from vacation, and schedules are about to stack up on your calendar. Many of us are looking forward to swinging back into a routing; however, there will be additional stress added to our plates to make it all happen.
Let’s quickly name a few items making their way on your to-do list:
1. Kids’ homework.
2. Kids’ sport practices and games.
3. Kids’ extra-curricular activities.
4. Kids’ school activities.
5. Your work schedule and spouse’s/co-parent’s work schedule.
6. Your well-being activities.
7. Holidays plans (they are just around the corner).
8. Social events.
9. Work travel.
10. Side hustle work.
WOW! And I’m sure this isn’t everything on your plate. Overwhelmed yet? I agree, it can be very stressful, but that doesn’t mean we have to sacrifice our well-being to balance it all. A mindset technique we can learn to help ease our anxiety is, take control. And when I mean take control, I mean take control of what you CAN control and LET GO of what you cannot.
I’ve also put together a few TIPS below to help you with your stress, well-being, and balance over the next few months. I personally practice these strategies and found them to be incredibly effective with maintaining my stress at a manageable state.
TIP #1: Get it all down through the end of December.
Gather and write down or log every event you know of on one calendar through the end of December. A big key to balancing it all is being well-organized AND making things as simple as possible. If you have multiple calendars like work and personal, I’d suggest trying to get on one calendar. This may require double entry sometimes, but that’s ok, as long as you can look at it all in one place. The simplicity in having everything down in one place allows your brain to better understand upcoming events, which helps decrease stress and anxiety.
Also, work to mark events on your calendar that you wouldn’t normally make note of. For example, I don’t always mark small social events or get togethers on my calendar, but after a few snuck up on me recently, I started scheduling time for those as well. It all helps provide a picture of what you’ll need to do in upcoming days.
TIP #2: Review your calendar weekly with everyone involved.
Planning everything we know through the end of the year helps keep us organized, but we also know schedules tend to change on a weekly if not daily basis. In addition to good planning, you want to level-up your communication game with everyone participating in your calendar. This also helps keep them accountable for upcoming responsibilities.
Reviewing the weekly plans with all involved: spouse/co-parent, kids, caregivers will help decrease your stress because you have a plan in place, and you consciously know that everyone is on the same page. You can physically plan all you want, but if you’re not communicating effectively and consistently with your people, things can fall through the cracks causing unnecessary stress for all. Keep the calendar visible if you can, like a dry erase board in the kitchen, and find a routine time to discuss the schedule e.g., Sunday evening.
TIP #3: Create Plan B’s
OK, we have every event on the calendar, and we have a weekly routine discussing upcoming events so everyone is on the same page. “No problem. I got this,” you say to yourself. You’re right…well, until life happens. And yes, it will happen.
Let’s also create a list of a few items that can throw off a good schedule:
1. Sick kid.
2. Sick parent.
3. Sick caregiver/babysitter.
4. Bad weather.
5. Cancelled game.
6. Multiple games scheduled at the same time.
7. Car breaks down.
8. School activity conflicts.
9. Last minute work travel.
10. And worst of all… internet goes out!
Since we can anticipate some of these items happening, hopefully not all at once, we can create Plan B’s with our village. Our village is a group of close friends and family that are reliable when help is needed. If you do not already have a village, talk with your close friends about your schedule and ask if they would be willing to help in case something happens. Let them know that you’ll be there for them as well. Knowing that you have support when it is needed creates a sense of safety and belonging and will help decrease your daily stress and worry.
TIP #4: Be patient with people.
My challenge to you is, can you become 10% more patient than you have been in the past? Being patient with people, particularly your family, will help decrease your stress and anxiety. Guess what, you don’t have to be perfect, and you shouldn’t expect the people in your life to be perfect either. Know that most people, deep down, are trying their best with their own hectic schedules and issues. Take a breath or find 5 mins to reset yourself when your patience is running low.
To lower your stress levels this Fall, become better organized, a better communicator with your schedule, and build a village around you. These simple tips can’t help lower anxiety and allow you to be your BEST YOU for others. Although some of these tips are simple, you’d be surprised at the impact they have on your anxiety and life balance. Sometimes it’s the aggregate of small changes that make the biggest difference.
If you’re looking for 1:1 coaching, please visit my website at betteryourbusy.com/appointments to schedule a FREE consultation. This could be the best thing you do for you and your family.
Good luck!
David Perez
Making your busy life better.
