Working Parents, Take a Minute to Reset This Back-to-School Season

 Wed 08 Sept 2021
Working Parents, Take a Minute to Reset This Back-to-School Season
So many working parents are feeling depleted. With summer ending, school gearing back up, and the return to in-person work looming, you might be asking yourself: How will I make it through this fall? Here are two techniques to help you reset and build momentum for what’s ahead.

(1)     Look back at your recent accomplishments.
 Take 15 minutes and make a list of things you’ve managed to deliver — for work and for your family — since early 2020. It’s probably a long list! Give yourself credit for all that you’ve done in these extraordinary times and let these achievements propel you forward.
 (2)    Paint a mental picture. Where do you want to be months and years from now as a parent and as an employee?
What would being in a “good place” look like to you? It’s OK to have a low bar and you may not even be able to get there in the short term but try to reframe the immediate challenges of this fall as a means to that end. Ideally, this will give you a sense of purpose rather than just powering through.

This tip is adapted from “6 Strategies for Exhausted Working Parents,” by Daisy Dowling