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6 Tips for Tackling Overwhelm
August has arrived, and with it, there is this felt urgency for families to finish summer well while at the same time preparing for the fast-approaching school year. Add to that the fact that some families still don’t know exactly what school is going to look like for their kids this year, and we’ve got ourselves a recipe for a little bit of stress.
When my grown kids were just little kids, I heard a message on the radio, (yes, before podcasts!) about young moms and stress. The communicator referenced the true story of a woman named Elizabeth Elliot. Her husband Jim had been killed, yet Elizabeth remained overseas with her little girl to carry out the missionary work they had embarked on together. During that time Elizabeth popularized an old English poem entitled ‘Do the Next Thing’.
The message to moms facing overwhelm that day was not lost on me, a working mom of two, and wife to a husband who worked long hours.
“How can I get this all done?”
“How do I even know what to do first?”
The answer?
Just do the next thing – the thing that makes the most sense in that moment.
It is a thought process that stuck with me through parenting, and continues to influence me today, as a grandparent!
As grandparents, we see the busyness and stress of our grown kids, the uncertain nature of school life that our grandkids may be returning to, and experience the stress of our own lives as well, and are sometimes at a loss for what we can (or should) do?
Well, let’s do the next thing! Here’s a look at 6 options for what might be ‘next’ for you or your family.
Rest a bit yourself.
Here’s a refresher on making sure you incorporate rest in your life from a recent blog post!
Cross some things off the list.
That bucket list of summer fun you planned in June? It’s OK if you don’t do it all!
One of the biggest items I have to cross off is sometimes my expectations.
“I was going to do this and that with the grandkids, and it’s still on the list and I wanted to do it, and I know they would love it and remember it forever….” And then I remember they will have memories of a happier Amma if I just enjoy the moment and quit trying to finish off a checklist.
Add something extra.
(Yes, this is the direct opposite of #1)
It doesn’t need to be big, and you may want to cross something off first! Sometimes when life feels a little hectic, we cross off the essentials or think there is no way to do that special ‘extra’ thing.
I am reminded of a day when our kids were little and had just started the school year. They were on a hunt to find license plates from all 50 states as we drove our 30-minute commute to school.
Our lives were busy….we were hustling back home after school when they spotted the huge amount of trucks at the truck stop just off the highway. Oh, it would have been so easy to say “no…no we are not driving through there… we need to get right home.” But we did. We drove awkwardly through the rows of trucks, and the kids hooted and hollered about all of the new states they were checking off their list. They actually still talk about it to this day!
Sometimes adding something extra is absolutely the right thing! Keep an ear to the ground for what that little extra might be for your kids or grandkids.
Nurture relationships.
Well, we know as grandparents this is something we love to choose as our ‘next thing’! Consider what this looks like at the beginning of the school year.
Do your grandkids who aren’t in school yet need a little extra attention because there is so much their older siblings have going on?
How about grandkids going back to school after distance learning?
A grandkid feeling stress about going to a new school? (They may relate to Anna’s version of ‘Do the Next Right Thing’ from Frozen 2.)
Grown kids adjusting their schedules to yet another new way of supporting their kid’s education?
Consider what your next thing can be to nurture that relationship. Is it an encouraging text? Some fun snail mail? A quick family FaceTime call?
Don’t forget to celebrate!
Sometimes, in the midst of stress and busyness, the best next thing might be to have a little celebration. Look around, or have a conversation about what is good, funny, inspirational, or a great win. Whether it’s for a party of one or a fun moment with the family it will lift your spirits. Celebrate with words, celebrate with a snack, or make up a family cheer!
Keep doing what you do.
School year beginnings (or anytime!) are not the time for us to keep a tally of who called who last, or how many thank you’s were said, or the times the phone was not answered.
It IS the time to keep doing what you do, because your support is more appreciated than you know!
Just keep doing that next thing!