Change is in the air. Can you feel it? Kids are back in school, the mornings are getting cooler, the sun is taking longer to rise and setting sooner in the horizon, pumpkin spice has exploded all over the grocery aisles, football season is well underway and the Halloween candy has made an appearance.
All around us there are big and small indicators that fall is here and with it the changing of the seasons and our daily routines. Fall can be both a very exciting and busy time. On the one hand there’s the excitement to reconnect with friends and family you haven’t seen during the summer vacation and on the other there’s whole new schedules to juggle - school, extracurriculars, jobs, commutes. It’s no wonder that this time of year many of us are left feeling stretched thin, overwhelmed and frankly exhausted as we are thrust from the lazy, long days of summer into the fast pace, shortening days of fall.
This abrupt change in our daily schedules can really throw a wrench into our health & wellness goals for even the most disciplined and committed of us. For some of us it’s adjusting to all the additional responsibilities that come with having two school aged children versus one. For others its adjusting to having a commute that takes longer now that schools are in session. Regardless of your personal situation a few general things tend to be true for most parents this time of year:
You’re struggling to get enough sleep. Transitioning to a back to a school bedtime routine is hard for kids and by extension their parents. Even if your kid is a good sleeper you may be choosing to stay up much later after they go to sleep to decompress from your busy days leading you to feel even more sluggish and tired the next day.
Eating healthy, nutritious meals has become harder. There are soo many temptations all around us in the fall: Halloween candy, pumpkin spice sugary drinks and foods, and apple baked goods to name a few.
Finding the time and motivation to exercise is difficult. Wake up take the kids to school. Go to work. Come home and take the kids to extracurriculars. Make dinner. Help with homework. Get everyone ready for bed. Suddenly it’s 9pm and you have to decide between working out or just relaxing on the couch. If you’re a morning exerciser you have to choose between getting that extra sleep or waking up before the kids do to get your exercise in.
“Me” time has fallen to the wayside. Whether it’s journaling, meditation, prayer, catching up with a friend or drawing - a lot of the things we do for pleasure and relaxation tend to be the first we drop when our schedules get packed.
If you found yourself nodding along as you read, you are not alone. You do not need to feel ashamed for having too much on your plate right now and feeling like you will never get it all done. There are soo many parents like you struggling right now to survive this back to school season. As with all difficult transitions, it can be made easier with support and empathy. This is where working with a health & wellness coach can give you the accountability, encouragement and space you need to figure out how to fit your wellness goals into your new schedule.
A good health & wellness coach works with you to identify actionable goals that make sense for your lifestyle, your interests and your individual strengths. Working with a health coach in the fall isn’t about adding more to your plate but rather about figuring out how to make small, but powerful changes to what is currently in your schedule to help your body and mind feel better as you work your way through this busy time of year.
If you’re interested in learning more about how health & wellness coaching can benefit you personally I encourage you to sign up for a 15 minute free, no obligation consultation on my website www.hwcoaching.com. I am also currently offering a 20% discount on all my services using code BTS2023 for anyone looking for support in making a lifestyle change.