041- Midlife Summer Reset- How to Recover When Summer Wipes You Out

Summer is winding down, but you're feeling fried, not refreshed. If you're a midlife woman staring at the chaos of camp bags, back-to-school emails, and zero motivation, this episode is your deep breath. 

In this episode:

• Why summer exhaustion hits differently in midlife
• The 3 reset zones: mental, physical, and emotional
• Micro-habits to support your energy (starting with breakfast, boundaries, and brain dumps)
• How to rebuild rhythm without burning it all down

No shame. No extremes. Just space to reset on your terms 

one small shift at a time.

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Disclaimer:  I am not a medical doctor. The information and recommendations provided during our coaching sessions are intended to support your overall health and wellness and are not a substitute for professional medical diagnosis or treatment. Always consult with your physician before making any changes to your medication, treatment plan, or if you have any concerns about your health. 

Transcript

Summer Reality Check for Crispy Moms

Speaker 1 2:28

Hey, hey, hey. Welcome back to Smash the Crash podcast, where today we're saying what everyone else is too tired to say out loud Summer's almost over and we're crispy Like my kid's. Camp lunchbox is at the bottom of the pool bag and it's been sitting there for over a week. Or, complete honesty my kid' school stuff they have emptied out their backpacks at the end of the school year is still sitting in piles on our living room floor. It is what it is, but if you've been following along with our summer energy series, then you know we've already talked about tackling yellow lights, chaos, shifts and that lie. Our brain tells us that sunshine equals stamina. But today, today is about what happens after the crash. This is your crispy midlife woman recovery episode, whether you're a mom, a mentor, a manager or someone who had big summer hopes and now finds herself searching her 1,000 plus unread emails for some supply list or, in my case, the school supply list with when I open and already lost what day of the week or month it is. 10 times the last five minutes. This, this is totally for you, so let's just name it as it is.

Speaker 1 4:04

Summer isn't always the relaxing dream that we pretend and hope it's going to be. Yes, there are pockets, there are wonderful moments and pleasures and vacations, but it's going to be. Yes, there are pockets, there are wonderful moments and pleasures and vacations, but it's amidst the schedule shuffle, the last minute play dates or the plan to lay down and take a nap, when you suddenly realize that you actually have to run out and go pick up some item that you said that you would pick up for whatever event's going on tomorrow, some item that you said that you would pick up for whatever events going on tomorrow. It's camps and kid shuffles, weird meal schedules, it's emotional labor, olympics, trying to make it a great summer while also working, managing life and the schedules and possibly keeping everyone else fed and semi-sane. And here it is late July and you're feeling toasty, fried, overcooked Not golden brown, but I'm talking burned, flaky, crumbling at the edges, toast Crispy mom. It looks like you can't find your words. You feel like you're snapping at everyone and you've mentally RSVP'd yes to things that don't exist, simply for the excuse to sit in a room alone. Yeah, that's been me. Okay. Truth be told, I didn't actually schedule a unrealistic Zoom call, but honoring some of those blank slots and thinking perfect, I can go sit in my room and shut the door and just be.

Three Reset Zones for Recovery

Speaker 1 5:54

But do you want to hear some really great news? You can recover from the summer without burning it all down to the ground. So let's drop the new month, new me energy, okay, and drop the idea that you need a whole planner overhaul or you need to commit to a whole 30 or 5 am bootcamp, starting now, forever for indefinite. Now what you need to do is micro-resets and I'm pulling this in from my SMASH framework and this is all about tiny tweaks that lead to big shifts right over time. So let's break it down into three reset zones. To reset from the summer we're going mental. To reset from the summer we're going mental, physical and emotional. A mental reset.

Speaker 1 6:51

Your brain doesn't need more to-do lists. Yes, I love to-do lists, but to-do lists are not quiet. Your brain needs quiet. So your strategy is to start your morning with a five-minute pause, or create a five-minute pause in the middle of your day to just simply decompress from what you've been doing or dealing with, to allow some time to recoup, to return to it, and that's it. Whether it's sitting outside, whether it's sitting outside sipping on your favorite matcha tea no podcasts, no productivity evaluations. Just sit, let your brain breathe Now, allowing that quiet to happen when your brain is swimming in overload. You may have to take one more step in that beginning and do a brain dump. Grab a pen and paper or notebook and just start writing out everything that is swimming in your head. Get it all out. It doesn't have to make sense, but just get it all out and then take your five-minute pause to breathe and reset Physically, resetting crispy energy.

Speaker 1 8:01

This is that yellow energy zone which often comes from dehydration, poor nutrition or overstimulation. So your strategy for a physical reset before that coffee hits your lips in the morning, grab yourself a bite of protein and a full glass of water hydrate from the night before and get some fuel in your body so it can start ramping up for your day. And an easy protein in the morning could be a hard-boiled egg or maybe a couple scoops of cottage cheese with grapes that has actually been my go-to recently, the cotton candy grapes, the green cotton candy grapes, just they hit the sweet spot for me and a couple scoops of small curd cottage cheese. I don't know something about them together, it's just really hitting the spot for me lately. But then move your body, not to punish it, but to unload stress. Whether it's a walk or a stretch, dance it out in your kitchen, I don't care. Celebrate your body and everything it gets you through each day.

Finding Your Rhythm After Chaos

Speaker 1 9:15

One of the mottos or I don't know slogans I learned from one of the trainers on my online exercise platform, amuala Seizure is motion is lotion, and it's so true Simply because when you don't move a lot, it feels like movement is hard and feels disjointed. But as we start to move and stretch simple movements, nothing complicated, no big, you know, we can get there if that's what you're into. But stretching and movement just really helps open up and relaxes the muscles. And think about you're sitting at a desk all day and then you're also stressed. Is your head slowly sinking down into your shoulders? Are our shoulders up into our ears? And then we become stiff and headaches come. And I've just went on a whole rant about stuff. So back to that physical reset. It doesn't have to be a lot, but it needs to be something, and it's a moment to unload, offset stress and emotional reset.

Speaker 1 10:36

This is your permission to not ramp up email from 2012. You know that kind of email that has this big let's pretend we're excited but also slightly robotic. Energy, that way too formal, weirdly over-punctuated and dripping with buzzwords that says absolutely nothing. Email, yeah. Instead, you're going to drop one obligation. Drop it. Drop it like a hot potato, just one. Leave it on the sideline, walk away, it's okay. Add one joy cue to your day A song, a five-minute phone call with someone who you enjoy and fills your soul when you connect with A funny reel that makes you actually laugh. If you're looking for one of those, I have a plethora of Instagram videos and reels that I have saved to my private funny folder. So DM me on Instagram if you want something funny to laugh at and I'll send you something that has had me rolling in the past, even some things that have made me pee my pants. But stop telling yourself that you're behind, because every day you are simply rebuilding. Here's the magic phrase I want you to tattoo on the top of your to-do list Rhythm is the antidote to chaos.

Speaker 1 12:13

It's not being rigid, it's not control, it's rhythm, and it's a rhythm of a cadence that feels like you, something that you can return to and not force yourself into. Remember back in episode 33, when we talked about the yellow zone and in the energy mapping. That's the space where you're functional, but everything feels so much harder. This is your yellow zone action plan. Ask yourself what do I want my day to feel like and what is one anchor habit I can come back to this week, whether it's breakfast, bedtime or some breath work. What is one anchor habit I can come back to when I start to feel myself drifting into that yellow energy zone? It's not about becoming a new version of yourself. It's about coming home to the version who already knows what feels good, supporting the version you are today and your future self. She's just been buried under sunscreen, snack wrappers and all that chaotic summer expectations.

Your Permission to Reset Simply

Speaker 1 13:28

So let's turn the dial. Turn the dial down a notch. If you're wondering, I feel this. Or if you're thinking I feel this, I hear this, but where do I even start? Start with the energy tune-up tracker. It's no pressure and it's made exactly for this moment where you'll be able to see what's draining you, what's actually working and what to shift without adding more to your plate. You can download that at melissahimmancom forward, slash, tune up or hit the link that's in the show notes below, because your reset gets to be small, sustainable and on your terms. You don't need to earn your reset. You don't need a 12-step plan. You don't need a Pinterest perfect morning routine. You just need space to breathe and one small shift that fits you. You got this.