Custody switch days are so stresful...

Whenever I have a week without my SS, our home is quiet, calm, and the routine is slow. There is no drama, unnecessary stress, or emotionally exhausting situations. However, every other Friday, when my SO takes SS from school for our week, I feel stress and anxiety all day long. My routine and calmness are completely disrupted, and usually, SS brings new insecurities or thoughts received from HCBM. The easy life with my SO is put on hold, and our relationship feels distant during those days. Apart from that, after I fixed my life, stepparenting and its consequences have become the source of 90% of my stress and conflicts. So far, I really dislike weekends and vacation days because SS wants attention all the time. Even if I distance myself, I cannot escape the noise or my drained SO after a whole day of running around his son.

I feel like I live two lives, and every Friday I switch not only the custody but also the way I live. One week I live my best life with my SO, and the other I am mostly in survival mode, still trying to figure out the whole "single in a relationship" situation.

It's been a while, and it is not getting easier, even after a lot of life adjustments. Custody switch day is as stresfull as it was before.