Life Balance. Basically just a funny Seesaw GIFâŚ.
Life balance. Where is it? Can I buy it? Can I study it? How do I actually obtain this fictious myth that I can have some form of balance in my life because at the moment (well actually, the last 8 years) (side note, happy 8th birthday to my son in December, coincidence, I think not) my life feels more like this GIF below, than balanced.
I canât even say itâs purely because I am a parent. Prior to parenting there was still the constant juggle of work/house/being a partner/ being a friend/ being a daughter that took up my days.
There is this constant feeling of âwhat am I forgetting to do?â Before arriving to the office to work, I have been woken early, fed 3 people, reminded kids to feed pets, found clean (most of the time) clothes for us all to wear, signed diaries, reminded kids about library bags and bitten my tongue when they look at me with surprise on their faces as I tell them they need to brush their teeth. Like a wise friend told me recently, âitâs like I havenât been telling them everyday of their life that this is something they need to doâ #solidarity.
All of these things individually are ok, but add them all together and by the time 9am rolls around and I make it to the office, Iâm already mentally exhausted. Sound familiar?
Then the day goes on and in the back of my mind is, âwhatâs happening for dinner, who has to be where after school, what bills are due etc etc etcâ
We go through the motions and get to the end of the day, but not before the usual hurdles of getting kids to bed and I wonder why I feel exhausted.
So what is the trick to balancing all of this?
To get the answer to this question, I went to the experienced women who have already lived this life and survived to tell the tale (thanks Mum!)
Just breathe. The washing can wait. The dishes will still be there. Take a breath, sit down and remind yourself that you are doing a good job. Life is busy so only take on what feels ok. Itâs ok to say no. If your kids are busy and you can see them slowing down because of it, a term off sport or activities will not stop the world spinning. Itâs ok. If it means you get one afternoon a week that is slower, that canât be a bad thing.
Take a walk to the park and sit in the sunshine. Sit on the couch, have a cuddle and watch a movie. There is so much to gain from these shared experiences. Sometimes slowing down just a little, can have the biggest impact.
I have found by just going out in the backyard instantly calms me down. That bit of sunshine and fresh air, does help. Then slowly ill notice my kids wander out to see what Iâm doing. The stiller I am, the more I get out of them. Watering the plants, throwing a ball for the dog, kicking the ball with my kids. (donât get them confused though and find yourself kicking the dog and throwing the ball) The conversation flows, there is nowhere to rush to and I can see us all slow down and breathe again.
Maybe there is some merit to the old saying of âitâs the simple things in lifeâŚâ Donât get me wrong, take my Netflix or wifi connection away from me and weâll have a problem, but hey, its all about balance right đ
What tips and tricks do you have to gain a bit of life balance? Share your comments below, we are all learning about this juggling act.
