Tapping out when life gets too hectic

Welcome back lovelies!

I did't get around to finalise my post last week, with work and my Summer Soirée event looming, I was seriously functioning in overdrive. Apart from work and event things, school obligations and music concerts peppered my diary. My middle son started his matric finals, my eldest started preparing for university finals and my youngest was his usual busy self! I have literally emerged from weeks of working 24/7, 7 days a week, which was catch up after my stint of looking after my nephews.

And what becomes very clear is that when I am in this overdrive mode, my home reflects the same busy energy and the boys are all over the place.

So after my event this weekend, I felt like my tank was depleted, and I made a conscious decision to have an 'easy' week. So I chose to tend to my admin work, seeing to the boys who were studying this week, and ensuring the availability of food and snacks. I took time to go the salon, visit a few sick patients and had a lunch date with my eldest, after weeks of having no space in my diary, I did a long overdue Home Affairs visit, a breakfast date with hubby and really just recouped my energies. I went in store to restock my face products, as opposed to buying all my supplies online and started to feel more grounded, I even managed to attend an unplanned lecture on the last minute. Just by performing mundane errands, I started feeling like my old self again, energies restored and ready to get back at it. It's important for me to constantly be aware of an empty tank, as the consequences of this affects more than just me and I could see a settling down in my home once I was feeling restored.

My home is an ecosystem, and one little thing affects every single member in my home. It may not even be conscious, but every nuance is felt, every moment of tension is sensed and in turn affects the behaviour and feelings of those in the ecosystem. This is why it is imperative for every single member of my family to be able to take their time out when necessary; we get it, we respect it and actually all benefit from it. It is understood that everyone needs different things to feel whole and engaged in the world, and that is ok.

We are currently in the midst of exam stress, and our home goes into quiet mode while having a muted bustling energy. Each of my kids also know that I advocate breaks and down time in between studying to keep them balanced, it's all about knowing when to recover the energies. It's the same concept as me having to take a time out when I felt that I was not able to function at optimal capacity and that my energy was running low. Letting the kids see that it is necessary, even for adults, to recharge and take care of themselves is a valuable life lesson. It's not something I was ever taught, and had to suffer burnout to realise the importance of self care. In today's world, kids are so busy, with jam-packed schedules, that there is very little opportunity for them to be carefree. Anxiety disorders and depression is a common reality which creeps into their lives and becomes chronic conditions they need to manage into adulthood. So it's critical to remember that self care is an important concept for young and old alike. And providing the space for that in the home is the start of teaching them this, as well as modelling this in our own lives.

This lookpost is a carefree, summery one, put together from my past season's pieces. The sneakers are new, gifted to me (because it's no secret that I'm a sneaker junkie!). It's a representation to not take ourselves too seriously, to tap out when we feel like life is too overwhelmingly busy and to prioritise self care. The old saying rings true: 'that you cannot pour from an empty cup'.

Take your time out when life gets too crazy, it's as important for those you nurture as it is for you ✨