Doldrums & Delights (September 2025)

Happy September!

I love September and the feeling of getting back to a normal routine.  I know not everyone shares my view on this, so what can we do to get into this month feeling more excited about it? First thing I would ask is, “What don’t you like?”  The rushing in the morning? The stress of getting kids to school? The doldrums of the work routine starting up again? All of the above LOL? Fair. It can be stressful. How can we limit that stress?

Rushing in the morning. The worst. Nothing sets up my day on a negative note more than rushing. So, I don’t. Even when our children were little and I severely lacked sleep, I would get up as early as I could. I needed to be ready before I woke the house up. I know that sleep is sanity, but getting up before everyone else, not looking at my phone, and just getting it done has brought me morning peace.  I did as much as I could after supper each night to make sure I was ready for the next day. Not right before bed, after supper. Then I wasn’t stumbling around tired and could go to bed early.

Stress of getting kids to school. I am convinced that trying to get children to school on time has shaved years off my life. Years. It was so stressful. So, when we had a stressful morning, I would sit exhausted in the car and ask myself, “What made that so stressful?” Then I made a conscious effort to ensure it didn’t happen again. Socks. Socks were a big deal in our house. The kids would come downstairs with no socks on and no teeth brushed. I would be waiting with car keys in hand, pacing the floor, waiting as they went upstairs - again!  So, I moved the socks and the toothbrushes to the main floor bathroom. Solved. We ate breakfast in the car. It bought me a few more precious seconds. 

Doldrums of work after the summer months? What can you do to shake that up? Stop complaining about it. Every time we complain about having to go to work, we create neural pathways in our brain.  It is what it is. We have to go back to work!  Let’s start thinking about what is good about that. You have a job to go to, and there are parts of the job you enjoy and people you are excited to see. Wait at the door before you go into work and think about one great thing you are going to do today. The only thing you can control is how you show up each day.

Less doldrums, more delights this month.

Darci

The following excerpt from Living the 90% always resonates with me this time of year.

Smile and say good morning to your coworkers and staff. Smile at your customers when they come in. Smile at your spouse and partner as they come through the door. Smile at your children as you see them walking towards the car after school.