If you’ve never heard the term May-Cember, let me welcome you to this unofficial season of chaos.
It’s that time of year when May feels like December, but instead of Christmas concerts and cookie swaps, it’s end-of-year parties, field days, sports banquets, 8th grade recognition, choir concerts, spirit week, teacher gifts, State testing, MAPS testing, AP testing, finals, graduation, and five “just one more thing” emails from school… all before noon.
It’s everything, everywhere, all at once, but with less glitter and way more sunscreen.
And if you’re feeling frazzled, overstimulated, and on the verge of tears while trying to remember whether it’s pajama day or picture day,
you’re not alone.
The Holderness Family created a fun parody https://www.instagram.com/reel/DJCDxRNxZ1h/
May Is Beautiful. And It’s a Lot.
May has its own kind of magic. The trees are full. The days are long. The weather is (mostly) perfect. Our kids are thriving, finishing, blooming.
And yet… May-Cember is also when our nervous systems start to unravel.
When we’re running on caffeine and calendar reminders.
When the mental load of motherhood goes from heavy to Herculean.
When emotions rise because transitions are real, and endings are hard.
Whether your child is graduating, moving up a grade, or just outgrowing something that once felt permanent, this time of year stirs up so much.
Joy and grief. Pride and overwhelm. Relief and longing.
It’s all there. And it’s all valid.
Let’s Take a Breath Together
Before we dive into summer, let’s do something radical:
Let’s pause.
Let’s stop apologizing for being tired.
Let’s stop pretending we can do it all with a smile and a Pinterest-worthy teacher gift in hand.
Let’s acknowledge what we are doing:
- Showing up
- Holding space
- Keeping the wheels turning
- Loving hard (even when we’re exhausted)
That’s more than enough.
Permission to Slow Down This Summer
You don’t need to have a full camp schedule, a daily routine, or a bucket list for your kids. You can if that works for you and you thrive on it. I have done it all. The summer bucket lists, the chore charts, the summer reading, and the not filling our summer schedules, easy slow summer mornings. (Way back in 2017 I think on my old blog on WordPress or Wix I even wrote about summer chores. LOL)
What you need, what we all need, is a little softness.
A little quiet.
A little space to just be.
Let this summer be less about structure and more about presence.
Less about perfection and more about connection.
May-Cember might feel like a whirlwind, but underneath the rush is something sacred: a season of growth, change, and release. It’s okay to feel all the feelings. It’s okay to cry in the car after drop-off. It’s okay to let the laundry wait and take a moment for yourself.
This season is messy. It’s meaningful.
And you’re doing better than you think.
Here’s to surviving May-Cember, and entering summer with a full heart, tired feet, and deep gratitude.
You’ve done more than enough.
Nikki Lanigan
Nikki Lanigan is a yoga, HIIT, and Barre instructor, she is also a Holistic Health Coach through Institute of Integrative Nutrition. Nikki is trained in Yoga Shred, Yoga Psychology, meditation, chakra balancing, and EFT/Tapping. She has done trainings with Sadie Nardini and Ashley Turner. She got her 200 hour yoga teacher training in 2017 at the Carrie Treister School Of Yoga. Nikki takes a holistic view of health, helping her students and clients reach a place of self-love not just through movement, but with mindset and lifestyle guidance as well. Nikki is also show prep writer for The McVay Media Show Prep and host of the podcast Fit, Fun, and Frazzled. Connect with Nikki on Instagram. www.instagram.com/nikkilanigan.yogaandwellness www.instagram.com/fitfunandfrazzledpodcast
