Why I’m Taking a Little Time for Myself as We Move into a New School Year

It’s that time again. School has either started or it’s just about to start for many of us. Our routines are changing as summer ends. In a way, it feels like it’s time to get back to the ‘real world’.  For those of us with school-aged children or even those that work in the schools, this change in routine happens every year.  After relaxing those schedules a bit over the summer, it’s time to get back to the school routine.

Every year it seems to take a few weeks before things settle back down after the start of the school year.  That time of transition from one routine to another can be unsettling.  What we’ve been doing is no longer going to work.  So, now we must change or adapt to new circumstances.  Change is not bad, but it does require adaptation.  As we adapt to the new routines we begin to settle once again into what is our new ‘normal’.

This year, my change at the beginning of the school year is even more dramatic.  My son has just moved into a boarding school so that he can further his study of the trombone.  My 16 year old just moved out of the house.  Wow!  I knew it was coming, but what a transition.  Since his school is local, I’ll still see him many weekends and at school events from time to time.  But, that day to day interaction will be completely different.  Now that’s a change in routine!

Over the next week or two as I adjust to him being out of the house, my goal is to practice kindness to myself.  This kindness can manifest in many ways.  Allowing and acknowledging emotions that arise will be one kindness.  Another one will be to just give myself space to adjust to this transition as I settle into the new routine.  Yet another act of kindness might be to remember that I will adjust on my own schedule.  I don’t have to have this new routine figured out in one or two days.  Issues will come up and as they do, I’ll learn the new way to handle them.  I’ll adapt to this new ‘normal’.

One of the many skills that I’ve learned as a yoga therapist revolves around listening to your body.  So much of what is happening in our lives shows up in our bodies.  So, to be a witness to what is happening in my life, I have to give myself that space to experience whatever is going on in my body as well.  I’ll practice awareness during this transition time and notice what is arising.  I’ll listen to my body and let the wisdom from within have a voice. That wisdom can help direct me into my new path as well.

I’ll also give myself time to do whatever I need to do in order to feed my soul.  Maybe that will be extra yoga, walks with the dogs, time with a friend or even a hike in the woods.  It really doesn’t matter so much what I do as much as that I do something for myself.  It’s a huge adjustment when your youngest child leaves home and there’s no need for me to think that I’ll get through that adjustment in a day or a week.

I’ve often said that change is a process.  It’s one step at a time.  We move forward with those little steps at our own pace, but as long as we keep moving forward then we are living our lives to their fullest.  Sometimes our path of change will be a winding path and other times we’ll seem to go directly to where we need or want to go.  Either way, keep moving forward.

That’s what I’ll be doing over the next few weeks.  I’ll be moving forward and adjusting.  I’ll be noticing the changes and figuring out what I want to do with those changes.  There’s no need to hurry through this adjustment.  Enjoying the journey is most of the fun!

Next time you have a major life change coming up, be ready to savor the little things.  Notice the emotions and thoughts and keep moving forward.

If you need help as you go through a major life change, such as your child leaving home, set up a yoga therapy session.  Taking the time to reconnect to your body and listening to the wisdom from within can be priceless.  Empower yourself to move forward with the knowledge that you are going in the direction that you need to follow.  I’ve learned so much about myself through yoga therapy and I’d love to share this gift with you.

To schedule a session, you can use the following link.

https://peachblossomyogatherapy.acuityscheduling.com/