If things feel a little more exhilarating, exciting, and exhausting at home right now, you’re not imagining it.
May is one of the busiest and most demanding times of the year.
Kids are tired and overwhelmed. They might be more sensitive or quicker to shut down. Parents are often more irritable, stretched thin, and less patient.
When everyone’s capacity is lower, things tend to feel harder.
I’m feeling it in my own home. As a family, we are juggling a full calendar with our 8th grader. Two choir performances, two awards ceremonies, graduation events, yearbook photos, an end-of-year luncheon, field day, volleyball tournaments, and multiple end-of-year parties. It’s meaningful and exciting, and it’s also a lot to manage.
Our schedules are off. Workdays are interrupted. We’re shifting plans, moving things around, and trying to be present for it all.
And we’re not alone. This time of year fills up quickly for many families with performances, championship games, final exams, AP testing, and celebrations. Schedules shift, routines get disrupted, and even good things start to feel overwhelming.
Parents are taking time off work, rearranging their days, and trying to be in multiple places at once. Kids are expected to stay engaged and finish the year when their energy is already running low.
It’s a full season. And it catches up with everyone.
What We’re Seeing In Office Right Now
In our offices, this time of year tends to bring a noticeable shift:
📝 More avoidance around schoolwork (Senioritis is real!)
🪫 More shutdown or “I don’t care” responses
🎭 Increased sensitivity or emotional reactions
🗯️ More conflict at home
😤 Parents feeling more reactive and less patient
This isn’t a sudden change in your child. It’s the combination of fatigue, pressure, and disrupted routine.
Why It Happens
By May, kids have been “on” for months.
Now layer in:
✔︎ Increased performance demands
✔︎ Less predictable schedules
✔︎ More transitions between activities
✔︎ Higher expectations with lower energy
Their nervous systems are overloaded.
And when the brain is tired, it has a harder time:
✘ Regulating emotions
✘ Tolerating frustration
✘ Staying flexible
✘ Doing hard things
So what looks like resistance is often overwhelm. What looks like indifference is often depletion.
What Might Help Right Now
This is not the time to add more pressure or tighten expectations. It's time to adjust how we support our children.
A few shifts that make a meaningful difference:
⬇️ Lower the intensity, not the expectation The goal is still to finish the year, but not necessarily full steam ahead. Think steady over strong.
🧘♀️ Prioritize regulation over correction A tired brain can’t take in a lesson. Focus on helping your child settle first, then problem-solve.
⚠️ Pick your spots Not every behavior needs a response right now. Ask yourself, does this matter today, or can it wait?
💤 Protect the basics Sleep, downtime, and meals matter more than showing up perfectly in this season.
〰️ Expect less flexibility When kids are depleted, they are more rigid. It may not be defiance, but instead less capacity.
💬 Name what’s happening “You’ve had a lot going on lately. I think you’re just really tired.” Language like this builds awareness without shame.
Finishing strong means recognizing when to ease up.
This busy season doesn’t just impact kids.
Parents and educators are definitely feeling overwhelmed too.
Parents and Teachers are managing:
📆 Packed calendars
💼 Work interruptions
📋 End-of-year logistics
😮💨 Emotional load of transitions
It’s easy to slip into urgency. To rush. To push. To expect more because time is short.
But just like kids, adults function better with:
🎯 Realistic expectations
☕️ Small breaks
🎢 Less all-or-nothing thinking
You don’t have to do everything perfectly to get through this season well.
Looking Ahead to Summer
Summer is coming, and while it brings relief, it also brings change. Less structure can be helpful. It can also be dysregulating.
Now is a good time to think about:
→ What kind of rhythm your child does best with
→ How much structure vs flexibility your children need
Spots are limited!REGISTER BY MAY 15th to ensure your spot!To inquire or reserve your spot contact us at info@houstonanxiety.com.
JOIN VIRTUALLY!
OCD Texas Professional Consultation Group for OCD Therapists
May 11, 2026 at 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM CDT
Mental health providers are invited to join OCD Texas online for monthly group consultation designed to strengthen OCD treatment skills and support other therapists treating OCD.
Dr. Alyssa Hertz joins with colleague Dr. Katie Manganello from the WholeMind Healing Center in Haverford, Pennsylvania every month on an Instagram Live Q&A. Join her this month on May 29th at 12:30pm Central to answer all of your OCD and anxiety questions - LIVE!
LET'S RESET!
Wellness Reset: Mind + Body Pop-Up Experience
June 6 at 9:30am - 1:00pm Central
Join Esperanza Rising Therapy for their Wellness Reset at Pickleball Social: they're bringing together therapy, chiropractic care, massage, and pilates + movement into one intentional space designed to support your mind and body. Spots are limited to keep the experience intimate.
Allison Leibman has earned her full licensure and is now a fully Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC).
Notice of Rate Increase:
Allison Leibman’s session fees will be updated to reflect her expertise and our commitment to providing exceptional, high-quality, evidence-based care.
Initial Evaluation/Full Hour Session - $250
Follow Up 45m Sessions – $200
Half Hour Check-in Session - $130
Allison's client will receive additional information directly from our clinic. Please speak directly with Allison regarding any questions you may have.
TEAM UPDATE
Congratulations Kimberly!
We are so excited to congratulate Kimberly Culebro, one of our Client Care Specialists, on her graduation from the University of Texas at Austin!
Kim earned a double Bachelor of Arts in Government and Sociology and will be taking a gap year to study for the LSAT before applying to law school next year.
Bailey Grunder at the premier of An Unquiet Mind with the film's director, Rachel Immaraj. She herself has lived with severe OCD which embarked her and Kovid (producer) creating the film.
EVENT RECAP
An Unquiet Mind Private Screening Event | April
Last month, we had the honor of sponsoring a private screening of An Unquiet Mind at the Wilhelmina Cullen Robertson Auditorium, hosted by Kovid Gupta Films, to promote awareness of OCD. Our clinician, Bailey Grunder, LPC-A, attended alongside clinicians, advocates, filmmakers, nonprofit leaders, and community members for an evening of film and moderated conversation centered on mental health, lived experience, and access to care. The room ended in a standing ovation.
The film challenges one of the most harmful misconceptions about OCD. OCD is not about being neat or liking things a certain way. An Unquiet Mind follows individuals living with forms of OCD that are far less visible and far less understood, including intrusive thoughts related to harm, postpartum fears, and other taboo themes that can feel terrifying and isolating. Not because people want these thoughts, but because OCD targets what matters most.
The misunderstanding of these experiences has created a culture of silence and shame, and this film breaks that silence. OCD is highly treatable, and no one should have to suffer from something so deeply misunderstood. We are grateful to have supported this work and to be part of a community pushing these conversations forward.
Networking at Adolescent Resource Collective | April
In April, we also had the opportunity to join the Adolescent Resource Collective monthly meeting. Thank you to Christine Odusola and the ARC team for fostering such a thoughtful, collaborative community, and to @eatingrecovery center for a meaningful presentation on food and body neutrality.
Dr. Ruths,Dr. Hertz, and Bailey loved connecting with a room full of professionals committed to supporting teens and families. We're already looking forward to doing it again this month!
Earlier this month, our team had the privilege of sponsoring Understanding OCD Community Event in The Woodlands, hosted by Gabby Westbrook, LCSW and the team at OCD & Anxiety Center of The Woodlands. It was a meaningful evening, and a powerful reminder of what becomes possible when OCD is understood, talked about openly, and met with compassion instead of stigma.
At Houston Anxiety and Wellness Center, this is the work we care deeply about every day. Helping kids, teens, and adults face fears, reduce avoidance, and build lives they actually want to be living. That happens inside the therapy room through evidence-based treatment, and outside of it through community outreach and education. Events like this one are a natural extension of that mission.
Thank you to everyone who stopped by, connected with us, and shared pieces of your story. And a sincere thank you to Gabby and her team for creating a space that brings this community together. OCD is treatable, and no one has to navigate it alone.
