The Back-to-Everything Season and How to Still Take Care of You

Is it just me, or does this time of year feel like running a marathon with no finish line in sight?

The kids are home, the house is upside down, there are school supplies to buy and label, uniforms to find, and Yom Tov is already peeking around the corner. Somewhere in between the summer homework and the shoe shopping, you're also trying to figure out menus,  carpools, and maybe, just maybe, breathe.

It’s a lot.

So first, let’s acknowledge that. If you’re feeling like you’re being pulled in ten directions and none of them are toward rest or joy, you’re not alone.

And that’s exactly why this is the time to double down on self-care.

Not the spa-day kind (although if you can, go for it!). I’m talking about real, soul-nourishing, motherhood-compatible self-care.

What Does Self-Care Look Like Right Now?

It looks like whispering “I’m allowed to go slow” even when the world is speeding up.

It looks like choosing cereal for dinner one night this week and deciding not to feel bad about it.

It looks like five minutes of stillness in the morning before the house wakes up, even if it’s just to sip a hot drink while staring out the window.

It looks like saying no to one more errand so you can say yes to sanity.

It looks like giving yourself the same compassion you so freely offer everyone else in your home.

Because when you care for yourself, even in small, invisible ways, you show up softer. Kinder. More grounded. And that version of you? That’s the one your family needs most.

You Deserve to Be at the Top of Your List

It’s tempting to put yourself last during seasons of chaos. But here’s the truth: You are the foundation of your home. When you’re cared for, everything else flows better.

So as the school shoes pile up, the machzorim come out, and the kugels go in the oven, ask yourself: What’s one thing I can do today to nurture me?

And then, do it.

Even if it's just closing your eyes for 90 seconds while standing at the sink.

Because you deserve peace now, not only when the last kid is out the door or the last dish is put away.

You’re not waiting for life to calm down so you can be your best self.

You’re becoming her right in the middle of it all.