One of the things I’m most present to this week is what my brilliant friend Katie Beardmore describes as “the juggle struggle”. It captures so perfectly that balancing act of work and family life, especially during the school holidays.

Whether you’re working from home with kids underfoot, shifting meetings to accommodate early pick-ups, or mentally switching gears from focus time to snack distribution (why are there always so many snacks?) – this season brings its own flavour of chaos.

Let’s look at the numbers: children in UK state schools have around 13 weeks of holiday per year. The average full-time employee? Just under 4 weeks. That leaves a 9-week gap. A logistical Jenga of epic proportions. In fact, 77% of respondents to my recent LinkedIn poll said they were deep in the juggle struggle this Easter.

But let’s be clear: this is not just about practicalities. It’s about expectations, which are more often than not internal imposed.

1. 🔁 Remove Unrealistic Expectations

When people asked, “How’s it going?” over the holidays, I gave the same answer every time. “At first? Not great.”

I’d expected myself to maintain full productivity and have the children at home. Unsurprisingly, it didn’t go well until I halved my expectations. Then halved them again. Eventually, I found a rhythm that worked for both them and me. A pace that acknowledged reality, not an idealised version of what I thought I should be able to do.

2. 🧭 Adopt Ruthless Prioritisation

A powerful comment on my post from Lisa McCluskey stopped me in my tracks. She wrote:

“I have no tips to give beyond acceptance and flexibility. My son had an anxiety attack going into a club today, and I ended up with just three hours to squeeze everything into… I had to drop anything that didn’t truly need doing. Like housework, exercise, socialising, admin. It won’t be forever.”

This is what intentionality really looks like in action. Not relying on an adrenalised version of Superwoman (or however you relate to that concept) to get through, but consciously letting go of the non-essential.

This is the definition of conscious capacity management – the core foundational layer of the Career Pivots® Compass methodology.

🧠 Reflect

This time of year often feels like we’re reacting rather than designing but it can also be the very invitation to get more intentional.

If you’re spinning too many plates it feels impossible to put them down, consider:

• What am I expecting of myself right now that might be unrealistic?
• What can I gently put down, even just for this week?

And just notice… what shifts?

It’s easy to slip into “Superwoman mode,” especially when it seems like others are managing better. But as we explore in Intentional Careers for STEM Women, being seen as competent isn’t worth the cost of eroding our internal resources.

As always, my inbox is open – I’m just an email away.

Keep opening up,
Hannah

P.S.
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