Hi Reader,
There are two months of the year I dread: September and May.
Maybe it's me. Maybe it's our crazy ADHD family. Maybe it was the transition itself. Here's the thing I never understood until years later.
September brought an imposing structure I resented and also needed.
I played hard every summer, squeezing out every last day of sunshine, fun, and adventure before school routines and fall expectations closed in like the Seattle gray days of winter.
I'd go from play, play, play to a sudden stop. No reset. No rest. If you live in the PNW, you know this feeling. What I never practiced was building rest into the equation at all.
Labor Day weekend was fun to the last drop. Then, BAM. School schedules, forms, sports sign-ups, back-to-school events, IEP plans for the kids.
I wish I knew the power of rest back then. If I could go back in time and tell myself this, I'm not sure I would have believed it. I suppose this is the gift of hindsight. I'm past the days of back-to-school nights and paperwork now, but I'll ask myself this question:
What kind of rest do I need before September?
- Is it sleep, or a midday nap?
- Is it mental rest? Turning off your notifications for an afternoon.
- Is it sensory rest? Taking a walk without a podcast in your ears.
- Is it emotional rest? Setting a boundary instead of managing everyone else's feelings.
- Is it social rest? Saying no to a plan you don't want to keep.
- Is it creative rest? Cooking, reading, or making something with your hands.
- Is it spiritual rest? Gratitude, or sitting outside and watching nature unfold.
For years, I told myself I'd rest later, once everything got done. I never stopped to notice:
Rest is how we keep going, not a reward waiting on the other side of a finished list.
We have two weeks left before Labor Day flips the switch on all of it. What kind of rest do you need right now, while you still have room to take it?
Hit reply and tell me. I read every one.
Heidi
