It’s the last Monday of July, so the energy is about to shift to getting back to school. August is a vibe. Even our Lazy Genius of the Week this week is about August, and she calls the month “one long Sunday night.” That tracks for a lot of people, whether you have kids in school, whether you’re an educator yourself, or whether you’re just officially winding down your summer. August has some big transitional energy. 

So today, let’s talk about how to make a new school year easier.

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Other back-to-school episodes you might enjoy: #168: How to Go Back to School, #376: The Lazy Genius Back-to-School Checklist, #274: The Back-to-School Starter Pack, #221: Get Your Back-to-School Life Together

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On the average day, we’re already at least a little bit overwhelmed by our personal problems, and what I’m going to share today will actually apply to that pretty effectively. But what about when we’re dealing with the world at large, with the news and the onslaught of information and the desire to do what we can?

I want to take our tried and true thirteen Lazy Genius principles and apply them to being overwhelmed by the world.

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@emilyinyourphone on Instagram

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These are quarterly episodes where I take the questions y’all shared with me on Instagram and answer them here. Today, we’re talking about resetting after a weekend away, using patios more, deciding what wellness trends to try, meal planning with different family preferences, solo parenting while a partner is away, morning sickness while parenting two other kids, setting new expectations around holidays and birthdays, and keeping kids entertained while working from home.

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The Instagram post for this Office Hours episode (just look at that bowl cut)

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Is anyone else feeling blurry? I’m feeling surprisingly exhausted and a little slower than usual. The summer stretch is lovely in its spaciousness but can feel oppressive on a dime because it’s a blur that will never end. So today I want to remind you of a few things that will hopefully help your middle of the year blur.

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The Essential Calendar (use code LazyGenius for 10% off!)

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It’s the end of June which means we’re halfway through the year, so I want to share with you my favorite books of the year so far! Maybe you’ll hear about something that is a great fit for your own reading right now.

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Kindle Paperwhite

Kindle Page Turner Remote

Book of the Month

Aardvark Book Club

Libby app

The Heart of Winter by Jonathan Evison

Greenglass House by Kate Milford

Say You’ll Remember Me by Abby Jimenez

The Man Made of Smoke by Alex North

Plum by Andy Anderegg

Worst Case Scenario by T.J. Newman

Dissolution by Nicholas Binge

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People create a mess, and chances are you have more people in your home right now than usual. Obviously that’s not true for everyone, but I’m talking to you at the end of June. June is full of hot weather, bored children, abandoned projects, and therefore almost certainly a mess. Today, let’s take a few minutes to pep talk ourselves into getting unstuck when your space is a mess.

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Episode #379: How to Help Kids Clean Their Room

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Naming the small things is so important and a practice I’ll continue long after this podcast is over, and today’s episode is in the same spirit. I want to share with you six small things I’m currently doing every day that are making a big difference. And all of these things are particular to this season I’m in and haven’t really been mentioned in other places, save one. I hope it’s a list that gives you some ideas for your own.

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Episode #254: Chores I Do Every Day

Episode #415: How I Keep My Kitchen Mostly Clean

Episode #374: What’s Saving My Life Summer Edition

Caroline Girvan on YouTube Iron series

Brooks Women’s Crossback 2.0 Sports Bra (affiliate link)

The Summer Playbook

Episode #417: My Favorite Planning Tool Ever

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We're excited to bring you a hilarious and heartwarming episode of The Moth, A Family Circus. On this episode, you’ll hear two stories all about the hectic, maddening, hair-pulling side of raising kids. Mary Lea Carroll tries to figure out how her mom raised so many children without absolutely losing it. PT Smith learns the true meaning of fatherhood.

Every week, The Moth’s podcast feed presents episodes of the Peabody-Award Winning Moth Radio Hour and original episodes of The Moth Podcast. Since its launch in 1997, The Moth has presented thousands of true stories, told live and without notes, to standing-room-only crowds worldwide. Moth storytellers stand alone, under a spotlight, with only a microphone and a roomful of strangers. The storyteller and the audience embark on a high-wire act of shared experience which is both terrifying and exhilarating. Since 2008, The Moth podcast has featured many of our favorite stories told live on Moth stages around the country.

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Bad moods run rampant in unusual seasons, and for many of you, summer definitely is. Kids are home, temperatures and tempers are high, proximity is constant, and bad moods are inevitable. This episode is definitely not kid-centric because bad moods transcend kids, but many of you will be glad to have this episode as it relates to your occasionally whiny offspring. Regardless, this episode is here to help you navigate bad moods and stay connected to the people you love, no matter their age.

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Burnout by the Nagoski sisters

Breezy Instrumental playlist on Spotify

Episode #409: How to Parent When Your Kid Is Annoying

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When your days are all reaction and no intention, especially with kids, stress tends to take the wheel. In this episode, we’re talking about how a loose plan can help you live with more joy and less chaos.

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Episode #419: 5 Things To Do Before Summer Begins

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