How to get rid of the homeschool stress

[visitor]

Dear all 

Last year I had a miscarriage followed with 2 operations.  During this rough periode my oldest son had examens.  So I helped him trough lt but during that time I had a lot of pain . I wasn't recovered yet from the operations. 

So I didn't had time to recover and heal. Now I finally have vacation from homeschooling but I just don't know how to relax. There was a lot of pressure on me and I can't get rid of that feeling. I still can't get homeschooling out of my head and I still have the homeschooling deadline examens feeling. Even though my son passed his exams. 

I just don't know how to relax 😕.  Do you have any recommendations? Unfortunately we çant go on a holiday at this moment.  But I am going to stop homeschooling this summer. 

Thanks in advanced 

 

 

[Jean in Newcastle]

Where do you live that there are homeschooling exams?  

[Visitor1]

4 minutes ago, Jean in Newcastle said:

Where do you live that there are homeschooling exams?  

I live in Belguim.  We have examens in grade 6 , grade 8 and grade 12. 

[chocolate-chip chooky]

4 minutes ago, Jean in Newcastle said:

Where do you live that there are homeschooling exams?  

Her profile says Belgium.

Where we are, homeschooled students don't need to take exams, but if you want to receive the official highschool certificate (what you'd call a diploma?), you do. 

My daughter took many exams as a homeschooler, to prove that she'd mastered and completed the highschool level work.

 

@visitor  I'm sorry you are so stressed. I hope you find a way to unwind. Is going for walks alone an option?

[Jean in Newcastle]

1 hour ago, chocolate-chip chooky said:

Her profile says Belgium.

Where we are, homeschooled students don't need to take exams, but if you want to receive the official highschool certificate (what you'd call a diploma?), you do. 

My daughter took many exams as a homeschooler, to prove that she'd mastered and completed the highschool level work.

 

@visitor  I'm sorry you are so stressed. I hope you find a way to unwind. Is going for walks alone an option?

I can’t see profiles on my phone. But the question has been answered. 

[wintermom]

My stress relief comes from getting outdoors in nature - hiking, paddling on the water, and cycling. Daily doses is key for me, and I prefer to be alone to enjoy the silence and sounds of nature. 

[regentrude]

I relax by getting outdoors in nature. Hiking, climbing, kayaking... even a two-day overnight camping trip with no cell service and no electricity is rejuvenating.

[Visitor1]

32 minutes ago, regentrude said:

I relax by getting outdoors in nature. Hiking, climbing, kayaking... even a two-day overnight camping trip with no cell service and no electricity is rejuvenating.

I like your approach thanks for sharing 

[Visitor1]

36 minutes ago, wintermom said:

My stress relief comes from getting outdoors in nature - hiking, paddling on the water, and cycling. Daily doses is key for me, and I prefer to be alone to enjoy the silence and sounds of nature. 

I didn't think about doing nature activities alone. Thanks for sharing.  

[HS Mom in NC]

Transitions are hard.

One year I went from homeschooling 3 to homeschooling 1 and I had anxiety for almost a year. I kept feeling like I was behind, not getting enough done, and forgetting to do something important. I've never been prone to anxiety before or since.  It seemed to just take time more than anything else.

I've just finished homeschooling the youngest after 22 consecutive years of homeschooling in addition to 3 years researching homeschooling before that. A quarter century is a long time to focus on one thing so much. Now I'm having a different sensation that's hard to articulate.  I can only liken it to having been on a boat for several hours then getting onto dry land and still feeling the motion of the rocking boat inside me so that walking on land feels very strange-I can do it, but feels weird.  I had already partially transitioned to what I'll be doing with myself now that I'm retired from homeschooling, but there's still an underlying sense of being...I don't know....maybe disoriented? 

Anyway, maybe trying to spend more time doing things that relaxed you before homeschooling and/or trying some new things that relax other people would help. These days I can't physically do some of the things I did before homeschooling due to a serious health issues that developed a few years ago (kayaking, hiking, camping, long days of sewing projects) but I have started doing other things that are new to me (walking, gardening, book clubs) and then there are things that have always been good for me: reading, long hot baths, cooking, interesting TV series.) 

Good luck.  I hope you find something that helps soon.

[Arcadia]

For me it was taking classes after my lumpectomy. I was taking whatever classes interest me from community college and I didn’t need to worry about GPA since I already have postgraduate qualifications. Doing fun things for myself relieve stress, even things like making architecture models out of my LEGOs. I choose online classes because I do better with deadlines and I was having side effects (mainly fatigue, brain fog and joint pains) from cancer treatment so the classes fulfilled the need for socialization and achievement. The classes also improved the brain fog since I have something to focus on. 
My husband relax from work stress by gardening. We both like taking long strolls. 

[Harriet Vane]

I find that I have to stop myself thinking--when I am in an anxious spiral, often the relaxing activities are not relaxing because my mind is running over the same well-worn, internal paths. For me, audio books and music really help. That way I can do the activity AND use the story or the music to turn off the thinking for a while.