The Summer That Crept Up Quietly
How is it the summer holidays already? I know I have children, so I should know this — but this is the first year where the school holidays haven’t felt like something I needed in order to survive. The weeks have simply drifted into one another without that familiar countdown of days, hours, minutes. No internal clock ticking. No adrenaline-fuelled anticipation. No sense of crawling toward a finish line.
Back when my life was ruled by the metaphorical big boss of education, I never realised how much of my body was running on pure adrenaline. I lived in a constant state of fight or flight. I counted down to every break because I was physically and mentally exhausted. Completely drained. There was nothing left to give.
I remember the elation of breaking up for the holidays — that sudden weight lifted — but the relief came with a price. The first week was always a blur, like the worst hangover imaginable. I’d buzz, crash, and sit on edge waiting for something to happen. My body was so tightly wound it took weeks to unravel, and by the time it did, the cycle began again.
For eighteen years, I thought this was normal. I thought this was just teaching.
But hindsight is a powerful thing. What I’ve described isn’t normal. It’s acute stress. And I know thousands of teachers across the country will read this and recognise themselves instantly. This is their reality right now.
What makes me realise how far I’ve come is how quietly the holidays arrived this year. No markers. No countdown. Just a normal Friday rolling into a normal weekend. No adrenaline. No crash. No decompression hangover.
This is my new normal — the version of life that emerges when you’re no longer primed, conditioned, or groomed by a system to feel otherwise.
Eighteen Years of Adrenaline
Teaching didn’t just shape my schedule — it shaped my physiology. My body was trained to anticipate stress, brace for impact, and run on fumes. I didn’t realise how deeply this had become my baseline until I stepped away.
Only now, with distance, can I see how unhealthy that “normal” really was.
Building a Business Without Burning Out
So what does this mean for me now?
It means navigating a whole new set of challenges as a self‑employed woman. For years, I believed I needed teaching because I needed the six‑week holiday. I thought it was one of the few perks that made the stress worth it.
But now? I don’t need the holidays in the same way at all.
The beauty of building a business — especially one as personal and heart-led as Beau’s Best Friends — is remembering that you are the one in charge. You make the decisions. You shape the rhythm. You build something that fits around your life, not the other way around.
But here’s the catch: If you’re not careful, you can recreate the same burnout patterns you left behind.
This has been the theme of so many conversations I’ve had recently with other women in business — the absolute necessity of boundaries. Whether it’s refusing to reply to WhatsApp messages after 7pm, resisting the urge to overbook your diary, or revisiting your terms and conditions to protect your time and energy… boundaries are not optional.
They are survival.
When everything in your business comes down to you, you must come first. Not out of selfishness — out of sustainability. If you don’t thrive physically and mentally, neither will your business.
Redefining the School Holidays
The school holidays look different now.
They’re no longer a dramatic shift in pace. They’re simply another part of the year. Yes, I have appointments. Yes, I’m house sitting during the busiest season for my business. But I no longer feel guilty about letting my kids do their own thing. I don’t feel pressure to create big, flashy days out. I don’t feel the need to justify my presence or prove I’m “making memories.”
I’m present in a way I never could be when I was exhausted, depleted, and running on fumes.
There’s no pressure to make the holidays “worth their hype.” No expectation to perform. No need to orchestrate something magical.
Choosing the Little Things
This year — just like every day since leaving teaching — I’m focusing on the little things.
A walk in the park. Reading a book in the sunshine. A lazy morning coffee. Letting the kids drift in and out of their own rhythms. Being here. Being now. Being present.
No countdowns. No wishing life away. Just living it.
Because the magic of life isn’t found in the next break, the next holiday, or the next escape. It’s found in the present — and for the first time in a long time, that’s exactly where I am.
For Women Carving Out Their Own Path
If you’re a woman carving out your own path — whether you’re just starting or already deep into the journey — let this be your reminder that boundaries aren’t barriers. They’re foundations.
Come connect with me and other women in business who are choosing sustainability over burnout, presence over pressure, and a life that feels like theirs. Your story matters, your wellbeing matters, and you don’t have to build alone.
If you’d like to follow along as Beau’s Best Friends continues to grow — or if you’re looking for caring, reliable support for your dog — I’d love for you to explore what I offer. From everyday walks to our new pet photoshoot sessions and my freshly published ebook, everything is gathered in one place on my Linktree.
Thank you for being part of this journey and for helping Beau’s Best Friends become what it is today.
https://linktr.ee/beausbestfriends
