Surviving May-Cember
The Other Most Beautiful, Emotional, and Completely Overstimulating Time of the Year
It’s that time of year again, the one no one really prepares you for. May, or what so many of us now call… May-Cember. Only this year, it feels even louder because now it’s not field days and spirit weeks for me, it’s prom dresses hanging in your house, it’s making sure I ordered the boutonnière for her date, it’s graduation invitations stacked on the counter, it’s cap and gown pickup emails, reminders, schedules, updates… more emails.
It’s your phone buzzing all day long with “just one more thing,” and somewhere in the middle of it, you’re trying to hold onto the fact that… Your kid is graduating.
The Holderness Family created a fun parody.
May is full, in every way. There’s a kind of beauty to this season that almost doesn’t feel fair. The trees are full, the evenings stretch longer, on my silent walk outside the other day I actually noticed, everything feels alive again. The grass is so green on people’s lawns, the flowers are blooming, the sky was so blue, the clouds so white, it felt peaceful, and at the exact same time, everything feels like a lot.
You’re juggling:
• Prom pictures, photos, timelines
• Graduation parties, invites, and RSVPs
• Daily school emails, updates, last-minute changes
• Finals, AP testing, State testing, my kids nerves and their extreme stress, end-of-year deadlines
• Sports banquets, choir concerts, ceremonies
• Teacher gifts, thank you notes, loose ends
Emotionally you’re holding something much bigger because this isn’t just busy, this is a transition. The part that no one talks about much. There’s this quiet emotional undercurrent running through all of it, one minute you’re proud, the next minute you’re overwhelmed, then nostalgic, then exhausted, then realize you had the dumbest idea to launch a new program in one of the most busiest and emotional months, then trying not to cry in the car, because you remember when they were little back when school drop-off felt simple, everything felt slower when they were in elementary school and younger, and now you’re watching them step into something new, it’s beautiful but it’s hard too. Both can exist at the same time.
The Mental Load Is Loud Right Now
If you feel overstimulated lately, there’s a reason, it’s not just your schedule, it’s the constant input:
Notifications.
Emails.
Decisions.
Logistics.
Emotions.
Your brain is holding all of it at once and that’s where May-Cember hits differently than December. December is busy, yes, but it’s expected. There is also the pretty holiday lights and that festive feeling. May sneaks up on you and suddenly you’re in it.
Before we rush into summer I want to offer you something simple. You might be at the elementary stage with the non stop spirit weeks, field days, classroom parties the in between stage of middle school or the high school stage like me but we’re all in this together. This isn’t another routine, it’s not a checklist, this isn’t another thing to do.
I want you to acknowledge what you’re carrying.
You are:
Showing up every day
Managing more than most people see, the doctor’s appointments, scheduling them, orthodontist appointments, maybe hair app, if you have pets scheduling their grooming, and vet visits, grocery shopping, cooking, cleaning, and laundry, to name a few.
Holding space for your kids with their stress of testing and end of year stuff and end of high school, while navigating your own emotions
You’re still keeping everything moving forward
This really matters! It matters more than any perfectly planned party or gift.
May-Cember is messy, it can be stressful, it’s emotional, it’s overwhelming, but also, it’s meaningful in a way that catches you off guard. For me, it’s endings and beginnings happening at the same time, plus my youngest will be driving and getting her temps this summer, sooooo if you’ve cried recently like me, because time is going way too fast, and at the same time you’ve felt stretched thin. Or maybe you’ve forgotten things, missed emails again like me, or felt like you’re barely keeping up, this doesn’t mean you’re failing, it means you’re in it and we’re human.
Here’s to this season, all of it, the graduations, the late-night talks, late night study sessions, the chaos of the calendar, the moments you wish you could pause. You’re walking through something big right now and even on the days it feels like too much, you’re showing up for it and that counts more than anything.
If you need a reset in the middle of all of this I created my 21 Day Mindset Reset.
Short, realistic activation meditations you can do in the middle of real life, not separate from it. If your brain feels loud and everything feels like a lot, this is for you.
We start May 11. Click on link below to learn more and sign up.