Summer Break or Summer Breakdown? How to Navigate the Season of Change Without Losing Yourself

Many of us are stepping into a new season — and I mean that in every sense of the word.

The calendar flipped to summer. School is wrapping up. Kids are graduating to the next grade, the next stage, the next version of themselves. And as much as we celebrate that — and we should — the transition that follows can hit differently than we expected.

For those of us with kids, summer means the entire family is in full transition mode. Schedule changes. Closets to switch out. Summer camp drop-offs and pickups replacing school routines almost overnight. The list doesn't just go on — it multiplies.

Back in March, I wrote a blog called "Spring Break or Spring Breakdown." I talked about how that one week off from school — technically a break for our kids — can quietly become the opposite for us moms. I wrote: "The definition of a break is 'to stop doing something for a short period of time: to rest.' For our kids, it's one week off from school. For some of us moms, it can mean being on the verge of a breakdown trying to organize the family trip or camps while still juggling the 911 work calls."

Summer break? Same energy. Just longer.

And if you don't have kids — don't check out yet. This one is for you too. Because that pull to shift gears when the weather changes, to finally take the vacation, to exhale after your busy season — and then finding yourself still buried in your work responsibilities — that's its own kind of overwhelm. Different context, same feeling.

No matter what it looks like for you: it's a season of change. And change, even the good kind, asks a lot of us.

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THE WEEK THAT HUMBLED ME

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Let me tell you about a week that did not go according to plan.

My husband was out of town for six days. I had a full list of things to get done before our family summer trip — interview and vet nannies, organize closets, switch out seasonal clothes — all while keeping up my daily habits: working out, reading, cooking. You know, the non-negotiables that keep me sane.

I went into the week feeling good. Solid plan. Clear priorities. I had it handled.

And then two days fell completely apart.

One day I was — let's just say — recovering from a really good night out. Hungover, unmotivated, absolutely not touching a closet. The second day I was running on four hours of sleep and could barely string a thought together. I got started on one task with the intention of finishing it the next day, and that was genuinely all I had.

What happened next? I started beating myself up. Hard.

I convinced myself I had "wasted" two days. That I'd let a good night out ruin everything. That I was now scrambling — racing to catch up before the trip — and it was entirely my fault. The internal monologue was not kind.

And then I had to stop. Pull myself aside. And have a real conversation with myself.

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THE PEP TALK THAT CHANGED EVERYTHING

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"Why are you talking to yourself like this?"

"It's okay if things don't go according to plan — change the plan."

"What's the worst thing that's going to happen if the closets don't get done before the trip? NOTHING."

"You pivot every single day in your work life. Stop complaining and figure it out. Nobody is going to die if your list doesn't get done."

"It's YOUR list. You control it. If it no longer works for you, move things around."

That pep talk took me from zero to one hundred. I apologized to myself for doubting my own capabilities. And then I reorganized the list and kept moving.

Here's the thing about closets — and I mean this literally and figuratively. There is something about switching out your wardrobe that I genuinely love. Out with the old, in with the new. My shoulders drop. I feel lighter, physically and mentally. There's a calmness that comes with it that I can't fully explain.

That feeling translates directly to life. When you're overwhelmed by how much there is to do, or how fast things are changing — look to declutter. Remove what doesn't serve this season. Outsource where you can. Communicate what you need. And always, always ask yourself: what is the absolute worst thing that happens if X doesn't get done when I originally planned?

Most of the time, the answer is nothing. And that nothing is incredibly freeing.

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MY OWN SEASON OF TRANSITION

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There's another transition happening in my world that feels significant enough to name.

I am in my last month of maternity leave. I cannot believe I have a four-month-old — time flies when you're running on five hours of sleep and your heart is completely full. Ha!

This shift matters because I'm moving from organizing my entire day around my baby to soon organizing it around a work schedule again. My husband and I are being very intentional about our travel calendars, our childcare plans, and making sure our kids stay our number one priority through all of it. We're slowly implementing our transition plan throughout June so that when July arrives, we can step on the gas with as few speed bumps as possible.

It's a lot. And I'm holding it with intention.

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PERMISSION TO SAY NO THIS SUMMER

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Summer is beautiful. It genuinely is. But it can also become its own kind of overwhelm if we're not careful — packed social calendars, long to-do lists, the pressure to do all the things because the sun is out and the days are long.

You don't have to do all the things.

Just because you're invited doesn't mean you have to say yes. Just because it sounds fun doesn't mean it fits your season. Ask yourself: what's the worst that happens if I say no? And then — say no. Or reschedule for a time that actually works for you.

Live in the moments you choose. Not the ones you felt obligated to show up for.

Enjoy the start of summer. Give yourself grace. Reorganize the list when the list stops working for you.

And if you need a pep talk — you've got one in you. I promise.

With love,

Maria

Founder, LYV.on | Life Coach | Women's Leadership & life Coach & Speaker