September 2020 – On the Sunday night of Labour Day weekend, I went to bed excited about Monday (aka Labour Day). Rain was in the forecast, so I had a mental list of indoor activities that I wanted to get done on the last long weekend of the summer. This list included:
- Baking zucchini bread.
- Switching the ‘Summer’ pillows on the couch for the ‘Fall’ ones.
- Repotting my succulents with fresh soil.
- Taking photos of things to sell on Kijiji.
- Finishing my volunteer briefing document for an upcoming client event.
And the list went on ….
However, that Sunday night, I didn’t sleep. I tried meditating, watching Netflix, and drinking water. I obsessively checked the Ring camera at the front door for action on the street. According to my Fitbit I slept a grand total of 4 hrs and 28 minutes.
I woke up on Labour Day (Monday) feeling like I had been hit by a truck.
This is what I call the ‘September Scaries’.
As much as I enjoy Fall sweaters, Pumpkin Spice lattes, and a more structured routine, every year at this time, a wave of mild depression and anxiety set in, because summer (my FAVOURITE season) is officially over.
This year is even more weird because it’s now been 9 whole months since I’ve been onsite producing a real, live event. We finally have one that is going forward – this Saturday! It’s exciting, but all of the overwhelming COVID restrictions are producing anxiety. The sense of responsibility that I personally feel to keep people safe is what is really keeping me up at night (logicially I know those succulents can wait).
Deep down I know my team will rock it and the fact that we’ll be wearing face masks and dispensing hand sanitizer like it’s going out of style will not impact our ability to seamlessly execute the event for our client. It does limit our options for creating the memorable event experiences that we’re known for. I’m hoping the gelato cart will make up for it.
This turn of the season is like no other. The calendar may have flipped as usual, but we’re still living through a flippin’ pandemic! I’m learning that the benchmark for success or productivity that I typically use when the lazy, hazy days of summer fade, is very different this year.
