Hang in there, kids go back next week! But what about you?

Anyone else ready for a bit of routine again?

Because mine has gone completely out of the window.

Holidays abroad or in the UK. Childcare. Hot weather. Different mealtimes. Less exercise because frankly, working out when it’s 30 degrees has all the appeal of ironing.

And my brain still seems to think we’re on holiday when it comes to eating and drinking. Pre dinner olives, nuts and Prosecco on a sunny evening outside are just too appealing to leave at the hotel.

My waistband tells me I’m ready for September.

But before I automatically put everything back exactly where it was, I’ve been thinking about this:

Did my old routines actually serve me? If they were so great why have they slipped as soon as I took my eye off the ball?

Which bits made life easier? Meal planning, weekly grocery shop, automated reminders to change my HRT patch!

Which bits kept me healthy, organised or sane? CrossFit as many days as my muscles will allow. Regular bedtime. Lists. Journaling and meditation.

Which bits had simply become habits because that’s what I’d always done?

And is there anything I discovered over the summer that I actually want to keep? Ten minutes in the garden every day to reduce garden overwhelm and get a dose of sunshine; although that’s a challenge in the UK as autumn approaches.

We often think of September as a time to “get back on track”.

Maybe it’s a better opportunity to decide whether we still want to be on the same track at all.

So before the school bags come out and normal service resumes…

What are you bringing back?
What are you changing?
And what can stay firmly in the summer holidays?