ARTICLE SUMMARY :
- Work, school, home...: 5 ways to start the new school year on the right foot
- 3 tips to help your baby go back to school
- Recognizing and coping with mental workload
- Mental workload: warning signs
Back to school is here! With its host of new projects, tasks to prepare, school supplies to buy, new extra-curricular activities to choose from... a whole new rhythm to adopt in addition to the change of season to tackle. The question is, who's going to organize and coordinate it? As far as heterosexual couples are concerned, things are clear: the women are in charge! So much so that this work has a name: mental workload.
Work, school, home...: 5 ways to start the new school year on the right foot
Everyone (including you) to bed!
It's a classic for back-to-school and back-to-work periods, but resuming a regular, efficient sleep rhythm is essential for children and parents alike.
To avoid crying jags, pressure, delays and arguments, get everyone to bed early enough. This way, everyone has time to enjoy their little rituals before going to sleep : reading, bedtime story, review of the day... Everyone can then look forward to the end of the day with greater serenity.
We anticipate any workload that may arise
From the shopping list to the clothes baby will be wearing this week, not forgetting the choice of evening meals or the list of upcoming birthdays you don't want to miss: anticipate everything that can be done before the start of the new year.
Please note: the idea is not to overload your last days of vacation and verge on burn-out! Instead, we advise you to take 15 to 30 minutes regularly, when you're feeling good, available and rested, to plan ahead. Every time you tick a box, you free up as much mental energy.
Empty your bag and let go of stress
Literally and figuratively, emptying your bag is good for you! Literally, remove the last grains of sand and check that your sunscreen is no longer stowed away in your beauty kit. Figuratively speaking, tell anyone who will listen (or won't listen, for that matter) how this new school year is frustrating, delighting, exciting, depressing or tiring you, simply because it feels good.
We get the whole family involved
For most women, stewardship is a mental burden. Shopping, medical and/or veterinary appointments, extracurricular activities, files to fill in, gifts to buy, family reunions to organize... The list is long and never ends.
For a lighter life, divide up the household chores at home! To each his own, and for the rest, long live sharing and fairness within the couple.
Don't force yourself, just be yourself
Back to school, back to work, launching a new professional activity, a new product or resuming a well-established routine, nothing is better for the mind, the natural and its expression.
To avoid as many injunctions as possible and free yourself from the mental burden that too often accompanies them, stay yourself against everything (or everyone!). Dare tosay "no", "I don't know", "I don't like" or "I don't want" whenever you feel the need.
3 back-to-school tips for babies
Flexible working hours
Whether it's your first day at nursery school or your first day back at school, if you can, take the time to accompany your little one and pick him up. And anticipate the fact that they may call you earlier in the day. Becausea relaxed baby gives you inner peace and tranquillity, your level of mental workload also increases.
Everyday reference points
To free your mind, create rituals and establish habits. This is especially true with toddlers. Thanks to these markers, your baby won't be caught unprepared. Each ritual you set up shows him the next step in his day.
- Checking the contents of your baby's changing bag at the same time every morning gives baby a head start.
- Using a cuddly toy, a handkerchief, a blanket... to slip into the crèche bag or take to school, creates a bond between you and the community.
Building your child's confidence
We know, you know, that babies have an incredible capacity to adapt. And trusting them can help relieve some of the stress and mental strain.
Is the bed different at nursery than at home? Does your child drink from a glass instead of a sippy cup? Are the shutters in the dormitory not completely closed, unlike at home? Don't try to revolutionize the way things work at home, or adapt the way things work in your baby's community. It's quite possible that what doesn't work at home will work at the nursery or school, and vice versa.
Recognizing and coping with mental workload
The lexique du droit du travail defines mental workload as "all the demands placed on the brain over a given period of time".
In the 21st century, mental workload is everywhere, the demands are constant and - in the family context - mainly directed at women. In fact, it is often during pregnancy that expectant mothers learn to manage their child's needs. It's a habit that lasts after the birth, and doesn't fade after the mother returns to work.
Mental workload: warning signs
- You're constantly tired, impatient and even irritable. This is the beginning of physical and mental exhaustion.
- You're feeling depressed. You think that you won't make it, that you won't be able to juggle the roles of mother, housekeeper, cook, companion, employee, entrepreneur... And with good reason!
- You gradually lose the desire to go out, to see your friends and family, to engage in activities... Even your libido and your relationship with may suffer.
Of course, written in black and white, it sounds simple. However, mental load (or mental exhaustion) should not be taken lightly. If you recognize yourself in the first point, take action before you reach the second! Let go, forget perfection, give yourself time to yourself, talk to your partner, ask your parents for help, consult or take a solo vacation if you can. It's all part of avoiding burn-out!
