There are only a few weeks left of summer, and you have two options! Are you going to spend the last few precious weeks with your kids or enjoying a much-needed break from work, or are you going to spend it stressed out and anxious? Which way will serve your mental, physical, and emotional health best?
You can choose to...
a) Make a list of all of the things you need to accomplish by the start of school (IE, school supply shopping, cleaning out kids' closets and shopping for new school clothes, donating clothes no longer needed, planning one last cookout with family). Break your list down into tasks to complete each week. Then, break them down even further by day. That way, you can start addressing one problem at a time each day while still making time for fun with the kids for the rest of the summer. When the first day of school arrives, you will take a deep breath and do a morning stretch while waking up with your coffee. Reflect on how thankful you are that you tackled all your responsibilities in small, manageable doses, so that today you can be present and in the moment with your kids as they transition to a new chapter of life and the start of a new school year!
OR
b) Are you going to ignore the clutter piling up and the long to-do list that keeps growing and pretend they're not bothering you? But in reality, the stress and anxiety are stealing your joy, making it hard to enjoy the little time remaining this summer with the kids. In the last week, you find yourself running around frantically, feeling extremely stressed, and snapping at your family because there's just too much to do and not enough time before the school year starts. And all the while, you're regretting your promise to yourself last year that you wouldn't let this happen again... yet here you are!
No matter which scenario you choose this summer, remember that asking for help is not a sign of weakness; it's a sign of strength. It's not always the easiest thing to do, but it's a step towards success. We need to normalize asking for help in areas that we struggle with.
Asking for help may feel like admitting defeat, but it can make life less stressful and lead to a more balanced and fulfilling life. I know I sure could use a lot less stress in life, and if you're like me – a type A personality – it can be tough to ask for help! For instance, letting someone else clean your house for fear they won't do it as well as you, then it would be a waste of money. Or you may feel that asking for help is an admittance of defeat, conceding that you can't do it all yourself or that you're 'weak.' Regardless of the reasons you struggle to ask for assistance in any area of your life, know that you are not alone and that your feelings are valid.
That being said, I need you to take a beat and stop with the negative self-talk for just a minute, please! Clear your mind and sit with your thoughts on asking for help until you can get comfortable with it. Rationalize it however you need to (within good reason, of course). Use whichever process works best for you, whether it be a pros and cons list or a laundry list of benefits the help would bring to your life.
While we're on the topic of pros and cons, it's important to note that by having a cleaning person, lawn care service, assistant, nanny, or even someone to help you with something as simple as your laundry, you're most likely supporting a local, small business and keeping your money in your community.
Having someone assist you can give you back valuable time and help you feel more in control of your life and responsibilities. Consider it a form of self-care, and I know how much we are all obsessed with self-care these days... for a good reason! Coming home to a sparkling clean house once or even twice a month, breathing in the fresh scent of cleanliness, and being thankful for the four hours of time you don't have to spend cleaning floors and toilets is something to be grateful for sis! Now that I no longer have a fantastic cleaning person (whom I dearly miss), I understand the importance of handling unpleasant tasks in small, manageable steps. Otherwise, they can quickly become overwhelming and make you feel out of control in your home and other areas of your life. That's why it's important to prioritize your self-care and ask for help when necessary. If the initial task of cleaning up, organizing, or dealing with a long list of to-dos feels paralyzing, don't hesitate to seek help from a professional. Work with them through the most challenging stages until the situation is manageable for you. Aim for a level where your responsibilities no longer overwhelm you at the mere thought of them.
I recently had someone with ADHD share a helpful saying they use to keep clutter to a minimum in their home: "Put it up, don't set it down." Whenever they feel the urge to just set an item down wherever they are, they remind themselves of this saying and make the effort to put the item in its proper place instead. This habit helps them keep their space calm and avoid feeling overwhelmed by mess and unnecessary clutter lying around. Oftentimes, getting off track with simple tasks, such as household chores, can cause us to feel extremely overwhelmed and possibly like we will never get caught up. For someone who is neurodivergent, to get overwhelmed can lead to overwhelm freeze, which can cause a spin-out or trigger an onset of depression even! It is important for many people who struggle with being easily overstimulated or lack spare time for tackling large projects to learn to keep their spaces tidy and to place items in their proper places. Remember it's perfectly ok to seek assistance in the areas where you struggle the most!
If you can relate to this but aren't sure where to start, call us, and we will help you determine what type of service is right for you! From helping you organize the kids rooms to picking up your school supply order, we can Help You With Every Little Thing!
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