TFI Spring! Fresh start anyone?

Daffodils have started injecting colour into the roadsides once more.  The sky has been blue all weekend, and people have been outside topping up their Vit D.  March is the official beginning of Spring.

I can’t speak for other areas of the UK or the world, but it feels like a fresh start is upon us.  Next Monday, the 8th March, all of the kids will be going back to school.  Wraparound care will be open once more, and working hours can return to something approaching normal for a lot of us.

Tilly watched the announcement with me, and seemed genuinely excited about going back to breakfast and after school club.  She reassured me that I needed to “focus on getting as much work done as possible” so that I don’t need to work at weekends.  The relief I felt at her excitement was immeasurable.

We will have almost four whole weeks of proper school hours before the Easter holidays, and I’m positive I’m not the only one who’s been mapping out when all the things will be getting done.  All the things that have been so hard to get done over the past couple of months!

Top Tips for Avoiding Burnout

My top tips for enjoying those four weeks without burning yourself out:

• Prioritise scheduling self care time.  If you’re self employed like me, it’s easier to control your diary in a flexible way.  If you’re employed, remember you have a lunch hour.  Use it for something other than work.  A few things I’m looking forward to include:
  • have a bath without an audience or snack request interruptions
  • go for a walk or run by yourself and enjoy listening to the music you like, or the complete quiet
  • go for a walk with a friend and enjoy an uncensored conversation
  • meditate
  • get creative
  • play really sweary rock music and “sing” along, just because you can 😉
• Spend time outside and get the sunshine on your face.
• Be realistic about what you can achieve in the time available.  Then reduce the list by a third.  That way, you’re less likely to get wound up about whether or not you’re doing enough.  As a bonus, if you do really well with productivity you can get through the whole lot feeling legendary.
• Routine is your friend.  The more things you can do on “autopilot”, the less strain your brain is under.

Happy Spring – what are you planning?

Xx