Anonymous wrote:I find by midsummer I get into a little bit of a Mom funk. It’s hot, I’m tired, I get anxious and a little depressed. I’m bored because I’m just sitting around waiting for my kids to come and go without any life of my own. I feel more isolated because sports and school are paused and those are my social outings at this time in our life.
Any ideas to get myself feeling good again? When I get anxious my stomach gets upset and then that makes me more anxious, it’s just a weird cycle.

Don’t mean this sarcastically l, get a job. I have 3 kids 11 to 17 and working full time while at times stressful has given me greater purpose beyond my children. In the mean time, find shows to watch, date night, organize, catch up on sleep, read, go for a day trip, etc

Every.single.summer

My youngest will be a Senior in high school next year…almost empty nest.

I don’t do well w/out schedules. I also WAH full-time and so does spouse- so it’s a lot . All the extra meals at home and dishes. Yes- my teen and college boys help but it’s still a mess. My grocery bill is through the roof.

Biggest thing is how much I hate DC summer—heat and humidity. I never liked the pool and I don’t like to be outside in it.

I will come alive as the weather turns in the Fall.

Just surviving for now…

You need to find a project that interests you that can be done in short bits and easily set aside for later.

Writing
photography
creating books of the gazillion photos you have
some form of artwork or physical creativity

Don't make it something random with no end goal or something that just causes you to accumulate unneeded stuff. The hobby needs a purpose, no matter how long term or attenuated (e.g., learning to paint so you can do a portrait of your child before they leave for college; learn to knit so you can make blankets or hats to donate to the various causes that request these; learn photography so you can hang original art in the guest room; learn a new language for your 25th wedding anniversary trip someday; take up gardening so you can redo your own landscape eventually; etc.).

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Get a job. Then you will appreciate the slower pace of the summer (at least I do). Of course you then trade one set of stressors for another so pick your poison.

Ugh summer is not "slower paced" for me as a working mom. At least during the school year, the schedule is predictable and childcare is pretty much arranged other than for certain holidays and random days off. But every summer is like reinventing the wheel. Kids grow out of certain camps, want to be in camps with certain friends, camp hours and locations vary, then there's summer travel, etc. It's exhausting. I love it when we hit mid-August, take the kids shopping for school supplies and uniforms, and then they go back to school. A relief every single year.

Ok, but recognize that some of that is your own doing. I would never create a hectic schedule for myself because “kids want to be with friends at camp”. They go to camps that work for DH and my schedule. So yeah, for us the summer is definitely slower paced because there’s no afterschool activities, weekends taken up with sports, stress of homework etc. YMMV.

I get it. I’m a teacher so I really need the break but summer can often be more stressful. It also takes me so long to get into a more relaxed summer routine and then I have 3 weeks to get back to work.

I am trying to enjoy the nothingness. Swim team is over which took up time and now my kids are enjoying doing nothing and I’m not taking for granted that I can do what I want and relax. It won’t be this way for long. But I’m a high stress person that needs routine so I will soon crave the school year routine and getting everyone back on track.

Anonymous wrote:Get a job. Then you will appreciate the slower pace of the summer (at least I do). Of course you then trade one set of stressors for another so pick your poison.

Ugh summer is not "slower paced" for me as a working mom. At least during the school year, the schedule is predictable and childcare is pretty much arranged other than for certain holidays and random days off. But every summer is like reinventing the wheel. Kids grow out of certain camps, want to be in camps with certain friends, camp hours and locations vary, then there's summer travel, etc. It's exhausting. I love it when we hit mid-August, take the kids shopping for school supplies and uniforms, and then they go back to school. A relief every single year.

This happens to me too.

Take up some kind of summer hobby. Take a tap dance class or sign up for tennis lessons or a painting class. Join a book club.

I feel very stressed in the summer because the schedule changes multiple time plus the bulk of camp and travel planning falls to me. So I just decided last year to essentially pay myself for these extra responsibilities by doing some stuff for myself. That means taking a day off here and there to just go to the movies or read a book in a cafe, take a class or two in the evening and leave DH to deal with the kids, etc. It doesn't make the summer less hectic (it makes it more hectic) but it gives me a little break and balances things out a little bit because even though I'm still doing a ton for everyone else, I'm also doing something for me.

Go for a walk. Watch movies.

Get a job. Then you will appreciate the slower pace of the summer (at least I do). Of course you then trade one set of stressors for another so pick your poison.

Anonymous wrote:I am not sure. I am tired, I am cranky and I don’t like the government.

My solution to this so far has been to drink. I recommend it.

This is how I ended up an alcoholic. 0/10 do not recommend

Do you work? If not, I would suggest finding something that gives you purpose outside of your family. If you like kids, become a substitute teacher. If you like the elderly, volunteer at a retirement home. If you like animals, do some dog sitting or walks or work at a shelter. Join a book club, a hiking group, go to yoga classes.

My life in summer is dictated by my kids. It’s what I chose, and I’m glad for it. Come fall, it will be different. Embrace the togetherness.