A lot of opportunities tend to come our way in the fall, lot’s of school related events involving our children, networking opportunities for ourselves as well as social opportunities.  How do we handle all that comes our way without completely collapsing exhausted, stressed, disorganized and unhappy?

The first way to handle all these opportunities is to remember that we can do anything, but we can’t do everything.  Saying yes to everything means you’ll be unhappy and exhausted and your family will too.  Pick and choose which activities to say yes to and make sure there is plenty of time for rest, relaxation and exercise.  If you overexert yourself trying to do everything you’ll be rundown, highly stressed and probably working at half the capacity you’re capable of.  Don’t short change yourself or your family.  Take care of yourself.  You’ll be setting a great example for them.

Secondly, learn to say no to opportunities you won’t enjoy, don’t have time for or just don’t want to be involved in.  There are so many ways to say no in a way that doesn’t make the other party unhappy.  “Thank you for offering this opportunity to me, but I unfortunately do not have the time to give this project the type of attention it deserves.  I hope you think of me if another opportunity arises” is one of them.   Don’t allow yourself to feel guilty for turning down an offer either it’s a time and energy waster. 

Third, start a routine for your morning hours.  Most of us don’t wake up bright eyed and bushy tailed, so having a routine takes a lot of the stress out of weekday morning madness.  Use timers, prepare as much as you can the night before, offer less choices and have your children help as much as they are able.  Not only are you teaching them to share responsibility, but you’re teaching them great organizational skills that will last them a lifetime.  Often using a reward system for being on time and being organized will work.  No major gifts, just something small that keeps things interesting and fun.

Be creative and use what works for you and your family.  Have a happy and healthy fall.