Samara Serotkin, Behavioral Services Manager, Clinical Services:

September can be a lovely time of transitions and fresh starts, but it can also be a very busy time that can feel overwhelming. With all there is to do to finish up with the summer and get ready for fall, sometimes self-care and stress management can slip off the to-do list.

I can tell that I am not managing my stress well when I start to feel exhausted, tense, and irritable, and when my husband says he hasn’t heard me laugh in a while.

When I find myself off-track in this way, I know it’s time for me to tune in to the activities that help me manage stress.

• Remind myself of my core values. This reconnects me to my primary motivations in life and helps me remember what is truly important to me. I like to write down my core values as well as inspiring quotes that remind me of my core values and hang them up in my bathroom. Currently, I have a quote up reminding me how important it is for me to offer compassion and patience to my friends and family. I see these quotes every night before I go to bed and when I first wake up. They inspire me and remind me of how I want to organize my time and energy.
• Keep a large calendar and dry erase board in a high-traffic area of my house. These simple things minimize the amount of mental energy spent trying to remember what needs to be done. All of my family members can write down what they need to do and when; what groceries we need to buy, etc.
• Schedule appointments with myself for stress management and relaxation. I block off time in my calendar and really try to keep the date with myself. While it can be tempting to skip these appointments so I can get more work done, I remind myself that taking time to relax actually makes me more productive the rest of the time.During these appointments I do a variety of relaxation and stress management techniques.
• Keep self-care at the top of my to-do list. Making healthy choices about my food and making sure I continue to exercise regularly help me feel more energized and give my self-esteem a good boost.
• At the end of the day, I practice self-compassion. Despite my best efforts, there are usually things left on my to-do list and times I may not have eaten so healthy or didn’t feel like exercising. Instead of beating myself up, I try to cultivate an attitude of compassion towards myself. As long as I give my best efforts, I can go to bed with a sense of accomplishment. Tomorrow is always another opportunity to give my best.