Ed. note: This is the latest installment in a series of posts on motherhood in the legal profession, in partnership with our friends at MothersEsquire. Welcome Katie Wiley back to our pages. Click here if you’d like to donate to MothersEsquire.

The billable requirement is looming. Midyear forecasts and strategic planning sessions are stacking on your calendar faster than you can hit decline. The next quarter bonus feels close enough to taste.

Meanwhile, your personal calendar has more color coding than a box of crayons.

The list of things you have to remember sits on your shoulders like a heavy backpack.

Did your brain automatically start an inner dialogue?

It might sound like this:

Don’t forget the end-of-year awards ceremony for each of your kids. (Is it business casual or “dressy but not too dressy”?) When is the kindergarten graduation rehearsal? Why is there a graduation for kindergarten? Do they need a white shirt? Do we own one? Mother’s Day brunch reservations — did I make those? Do I even want brunch or do I just need a nap? Teacher gifts. Class parties. Field day signups. Memorial Day travel plans. Who booked what? Summer camp deposits. Why are there 17 portals?

And somehow, also: Don’t forget to finalize the board materials.

Feel that tightening in your chest? Maybe your jaw or throat?

Take a breath. In through the nose. Out through the mouth. No, really, do this!

May has quietly become the new December — Maycember!

For those of us balancing demanding careers with school-aged children, this stretch of weeks carries an intensity that feels less like a gentle glide into summer and more like sprinting the final mile of a marathon, while juggling logistics, expectations, and emotions.

There are year-end programs and awards ceremonies.
Graduations — from preschool to college.
Final concerts. Final games. Final everything. And with all of that, there is also joy and grief at another year flying by.

There is Mother’s Day, layered with celebration and expectation. For those without a mother or a challenging relationship with a mother, there are added layers of emotions.
There is Memorial Day, marking both remembrance and the unofficial start of summer.
There is summer planning — camps, childcare, vacations, and coverage at work. While quietly hoping that you get to enjoy it a little, too.

Culturally, we are encouraged to view this through a highlight reel lens: “It’s such a special time.” “They grow up so fast.” “You’ll miss this.”

All of that may be true.

And it can still be A LOT.

Lawyers are skilled at holding multiple truths at once. Gratitude and overwhelm. Joy and exhaustion. Pride and pressure. Let’s allow that complexity instead of pretending one emotion cancels out the other.

Once we acknowledge where we are, we can choose how to move through it. What follows is a simple practice to help you prioritize presence over pressure this season.

1. Get Clear On What Actually Matters To You

In a perfect world, you would do this before May arrives. But if you’re reading this now, today is not too late.

Grab something to write on — or open the notes app on your phone. Set a timer for five minutes. Answer one or more of the following questions honestly, without judgment:

What end-of-year activity genuinely makes you smile just thinking about it?
What obligation once felt meaningful but now fills you with dread?
Do you truly have to do it? If yes, who says?
Is there a simpler or more aligned way to participate?
Is there something you’ve always wanted to prioritize in this season, perhaps a pause, a tradition, even rest?
Are your finances or capacity different than last year? Does that affect what you say yes to now?

Clarity reduces noise. When everything feels important, nothing is intentional.

2. Get Clear On What Matters To Your People

Ask your family the same questions. You may discover that what you’ve been stressing about isn’t actually at the top of their list.

Practical Tip: I remind my family that just because they don’t personally value an activity doesn’t mean it isn’t meaningful to someone they love. They get to decide whether to prioritize the relationship by participating (even if it’s not their favorite event). However, that participation should never come at a physical, mental, or emotional cost they cannot bear.

Presence is relational. It requires honesty on both sides.

3. Anything That Is Not A Full-Body YES Is A Quick NO

If it is not a full-body yes and it is not on your clarified priority list, it is a no.

A quick one.

Do not waste energy vacillating. Decision fatigue is real, and this season amplifies it.

You are not committing to never volunteering again, never attending that event, or never hosting that gathering. You are simply acknowledging that it is not available this year.

Boundaries are seasonal. Capacity changes. That is normal.

Saying no to one thing creates space to be fully present for another.

4. Monitor And Protect Your Capacity Daily

This season expands quickly. Your energy does not automatically expand with it.

Ask yourself:

Am I sleeping?
Have I nourished or moved my body?
Do I need to talk to a therapist or trusted friend?
Can I take five minutes for breathwork or quiet?
Do I need to edit my commitments again?

This is not about adding more to your list. It is about protecting the foundation that allows you to show up well.

If you are depleted, you will be physically present but emotionally absent. The goal is not to attend everything. The goal is to experience what you choose.

Practical Tip: If there is “no time” for any of this, revisit your list. Something likely needs to come off.

We each have 168 hours every week.

Within those hours, it is possible to design a life that includes meaningful work, rest, and connection with the people you care about. It may require creativity. It may require uncomfortable conversations. It will almost certainly require saying no.

Maycember does not have to be a blur you survive.

It can be a series of intentional moments you choose.

Presence over pressure.
Connection over comparison.
Clarity over chaos.

When the season ends and summer begins, you likely won’t remember how perfectly executed every event was. You will remember how it felt. So will your people.

Choose accordingly.

Katie Wiley is the person companies turn to when they need someone to balance rapid growth with sound strategy. Currently, Katie serves as Chief Legal Officer for Round Room, where she oversees Legal, Human Resources, Compliance and Ethics, Real Estate, and Mergers and Acquisitions. At Round Room, she founded the Circle of Influence, a professional development group that’s been a game-changer for over 1,000 women across the company. She’s passionate about creating spaces where people feel supported and can grow, which has led to stronger retention, better leadership, and a company culture where people actually enjoy working. When she’s not solving corporate conundrums, you’ll find Katie hanging with her husband, two sons, and their dog.

The post Presence Over Pressure: How To Navigate Maycember With Clarity And Connection appeared first on Above the Law.