Is Maycember Stealing Your Sanity?
Your breath can help you reclaim your calm in the midst of pre-summer chaos
If you feel like May is quietly trying to kill you, you’re not imagining things.
In fact, there’s an unofficial name for it: Maycember.
It’s like December — minus the twinkly lights, peppermint lattes, or socially accepted excuses to say no. Just endless events, obligations, and a calendar that looks desperately like it’s trying to win a game of bingo.
You’ve got school functions, sports tournaments, graduations, weddings, showers… with some work deadlines thrown in because somehow, everything’s “urgent” right before summer.
And let’s not forget the internal pressure to “make the most of this lovely season” while simultaneously gearing up for the next one.
It’s… a lot.
The Invisible Exhaustion of “Pre-Summer Hustle”
The tricky part about Maycember is that it looks like it should be energizing. After all, there’s more sunshine! Longer days! Green grass and blossoms!
Thing is though, your nervous system doesn’t care about the pretty flowers.
It only knows:
You’re overstimulated
You’re juggling 47 things
And you’ve forgotten to exhale since your last RSVP
This is where a sneaky, subtle type of depletion creeps in. It doesn’t necessarily look like burnout yet, but might feel like a constant, low-grade hum of “when is this over?”
The Fastest Reset Button You’re Not Using
I’m sorry, I don’t think I can get you out of your cousin’s stepdaughter’s graduation. But I can show you how to use your breath as a portable pause button while you’re there.
Anytime you choose, you can loosen the stress spiral, signal safety to your body, and give yourself just a littttttttle more space to remember you’re a human, not a clock-punching/event planning/parenting/overachieving robot.
And I’m not talking about any long, complicated routines. This is a 60-second vacation for your nervous system — no equipment or hole in your calendar required.
Try This: The Maycember Micro-Pause
Whenever you feel the rush, the flurry, or the tightness creeping into your chest, try this:
1. Stop what you’re doing (or slow it down by 50%)
Even if it’s just folding laundry or replying to an email.
2. Do one big, audible sigh out the mouth
Yes, out loud. Yes, even if your kids look at you funny. Give your shoulders a little shimmy while you’re at it to shake out any lingering tension. Feels good, right?
3. Follow with 4 rounds of extended exhale breathing:
Inhale for 4 counts
Hold for 4 counts
Exhale slowly for 8 counts
4. Optional: Close your eyes. Bonus points if you put your hand on your chest or belly.
This sequence takes just over a minute. But the mental and emotional shift? Instant.
You can keep going beyond 4 rounds, of course. When it comes to breathwork, more is more… yet a little helps a lot, and I promised you a micro-pause, so that’s what you get!
Rest Isn’t Earned. It’s Allowed.
Feel like you can’t even swing this 64 second time-out?
One of the sneakiest lies of Maycember is the idea that you’ll get to rest after it’s all done. But if you wait until the calendar clears itself, you’ll be waiting until… never.
Your breath is your reminder that rest isn’t something you earn once everything’s done. It’s something you can give yourself microdoses of in the cracks of busy days.
One pause. One breath. One exhale at a time. Even in May.
Especially in May.
Last Gasp
“If you get tired, learn to rest, not to quit.” — Bansky
Looking for a few more ways to shift your physical state and mood quickly? Check out my free “5 Breaths in 5 Minutes” kit.