If you’ve ever received multiple graduation invitations within a few days of one another, picked up dinners on the way to soccer games, or woken up in the middle of the night in a panic because you forgot to register the kids for summer camp, you might be in the middle of Maycember.
“Maycember” is that chaotic final sprint of the school year where everything happens at once. For leaders, parents, and caregivers, May can be an overwhelming season of logistics and obligations that can lead to burnout. With some planning and prioritization, it is possible to ease through it and into the more restful summer season.
Prioritize the Big Rocks – if you are not familiar with the term, the big rocks refer to the upcoming events that most closely align with your core values. Those are the ones to schedule first and protect at all costs. All of the rest can be delegated, delayed, declined, or deleted.
- Determine your top core values with this online exercise from The Good Project.
- Here’s a video to demonstrate this approach to prioritization and time management: Rocks, Pebbles and Sand: Prioritizing Your Life
Self-care is not selfish. Momentum facilitators at McDonald Graham often remind our classes that self-care is not selfish. Their definition goes like this: Being selfish is putting your own wants ahead of other people’s needs. Self-care is putting your needs ahead of other people’s wants.
- Visit our YouTube channel to watch this video with Dr. Cheri Canon on how she prioritizes physical health despite her executive leader, family, and community responsibilities.
Power of the Pause. When life gets hectic on all fronts at once, take a pause and focus on your breath. While a half hour of meditation is fantastic, one minute of intentional breathing lowers stress hormones and improves your mood. And it’s free. See below for a few more resources to help you find minutes of mindfulness.
- Be Still to Know. Meditate to Manifest with Coach Raven Holloway.
- Have five minutes? That’s enough time to clear and calm your mind.
Maycember isn’t just busy, it can also be emotional. Allow yourself to feel the feel of a a child or close relative graduating and moving into their next chapter of life or the shared excitement of a child’s team winning their final game. Choosing to align your commitments with your values, prioritizing self-care, and remembering to pause to breathe will help you approach this season with greater gratitude and joy.
