Happy Friday everyone! My favorite day of the week. Every Friday I pick up my daughter from school and we go to the park. I have a few other kids I am picking up and meeting their parents at the cafe. It refreshes me after a busy week. I juggle work and running around. I sort school meals, clubs, and swimming. I also manage work stuff while trying to fit in my workouts and runs amid the chaos surrounding me.

I love seeing my friends and catching up while the kids run around and enjoy time away from school.

It is a privilege.

Unfortunately, I will not have the time to do it for a few weeks because of my new job. I need to figure out everything and settle in. Once this is done, I can ask to have my work from home day on a Friday. My daughter asked me if I do it as she does not want to miss out on park days. The weather is getting nicer. It would be a shame to be cooped up in the office on a Friday. I would not want to wish my life away.

It’s OK! Better days are coming. I can feel it. I have been absolutely drained for the past four five months. I lived in my own head and I haven’t quite enjoyed my life much. I need to breathe. I need to start living with intention and look for the positives.

The only times I felt slightly relaxed was on Fridays. These days are over. I need to start getting my life back. Reinvent myself and enjoy everything I do. I know nothing is perfect but looking for positives sure makes things better. Today I wore a lot of pink. I just went to the park. I wanted to feel good about myself. I chose to dress nicely instead of just a pair of leggings and a sweatshirt. You know what? It actually worked. I am pleased with how my day went.

I am sure my brain dump is not of interest to anyone but I felt like writing something. I felt like putting my thoughts out there. Like a therapy session. I used to do this every morning. Years back when I used to wake up and have my coffee while typing my thoughts away. Finding inspiration while I wrote. Every morning. It was my ritual before going to work. It is true. I was single back then and I had no responsibilities. The word tired had a completely different meaning and drinks after work were a norm. It feels like a lifetime ago. Maybe it was. I don’t miss that life but I miss the morning writing. I miss the inspiration I had. I wish there was a way to get it back. Maybe it comes with practice or maybe I lost it completely. It might be the case of just trying and see what comes out of it.

There are so many changes taking place in my life lately. Today was the first time when my daughter went to school on her own. I assume school drop offs are over now. She wants to do it daily now. This made me feel so emotional. How is she almost ten and so independent? I am so proud of her. Though, not feeling needed anymore is not a great feeling. It is so damn hard as a mother to only one child. I held on as much as I could but I have to let go. I need to allow her to be her own person. Having a full time job will help me not overthink this. In only a couple of weeks, we will have to fill in secondary school registration forms. Another milestone and huge change.

In two weeks time I will be in Romania visiting my family. I am looking this trip. It will be such a great opportunity to relax and unwind.

Beginning of 2026 has been a roller coaster for me. It was difficult mentally and emotionally. My work situation affected my mental health so badly that I was overwhelmed with anxiety. This reflected in my personal life and brought lots of arguments and unwanted tension. I am so lucky to have a partner who supports me. He had the patience to endure all my madness. He supported me throughout the process and helped me navigate through this difficult time.

I started a gratitude journal to help me shift my mindset. I hope it will work but at the same time, the brain dump feels more like a therapy session. I believe it will bring a change. You might just have to put up with all my thoughts for a while. See how much of a shift it will bring into my life.

What do you think? How do you cope with the mental load?