One Balanced Life

I think I start the same post every Autumn. It is my favorite season - I love the crisp early mornings, the way the light looks different, the smell of change in the wind. It is always bittersweet time of year for me…endings and beginnings.

I've been thinking about the summer and how it was spent - it was filled with driving, riding, running, playing, camping, swimming, and constant movement. And although I know in a few months I will miss the afternoons spent at the lake, I am ready for change. I always find myself more reflective this time year and sort of view it as my New Year probably a byproduct of twenty plus years in school. Every year I step into the transition with the same mix of emotions. And this year is no different. I am filled with familiar feelings…nostalgia, excitement, and stepping into the unknown.

In the last week my son started kindergarten and my little one got his haircut (and for those who know me well they know which one I was ready for) and the first few days were bliss and then "it" hit. I can't even define "it" but it looks a little like chaos...late wake-ups, scattered bedtimes, one normally happy-go-lucky child who misses his brother so much that he has turned into a whiny crabby gremlin.  And one who is either so tired at the end of the day or is tasmanian devil jumping whirring around the house. And my adjustment hasn't been so stellar either.

Yesterday a friend told me she marks out 6 weeks from the start of school on her calender and notices that all the kinks seem to work themselves out by then. So I am doing the same. And to support myself in the transition I am doing a little Back to Basics Boot Camp for 6 weeks. And I don't mean the physical kind (I am a bit burned out on hardcore exercise at the moment). More the mind, body, and spirit kind. My Boot Camp is all about returning to the basics (my self-care non-negotiables) and then throwing in a challenge for myself every week.

For me right now self-care is about slowing down, embracing silence and stillness in my life. I know I need to: sleep, exercise, meditate, write, create, spent time outdoors, do yoga, climb, be present with my kids, work with intention, and treat my body kindly. I know I can't do all of these things in any given day but I can slow down enough and in the silence ask myself what I really need to do to take care of myself on any given day. And I know I can make all of these things happen in any given week.

Ask yourself what would your Back to Basics Boot Camp look like? What do you need to do take care of yourself as you head into this season of transition. For everyone it will look different. One friend who is joining me signed up for a Bootcamp (the physical kind). Reflect and think about you want your Fall to look like and then put a plan with some accountability into place. If you want additional support feel free to shoot me an email.

My Week One Challenge is to make a Gratitude List everyday. Everyone knows the research about the power of focusing on your favorites moments, the moments that touch you, the ones that make you stop and take a breathe.

Today I am grateful for...

• The sunlight dancing on water during my morning run.
• When my son said he missed his brother - I told him he is always in your heart and I am too so just put your hand there when you miss us. And today noticed his little hand over his heart as I walked him into daycare.
• Jen Lemen's blog
• The slideshow my sister sent me. I am so blessed to have her in my life and don't know how we would survive the beautiful mess without each other. You can find the slideshow here (on the left side half-way down called "Lose Your Little Mind.") Beware it is powerful.
• Heartful conversations that make you feel connected and at peace.
  

If you want to join me, check back next Thursday for a new weekly challenge.