Do you ever feel like each day is a crazy whirlwind and you never seem to have time to do everything you had planned for the day! Do you feel that there is too much on your plate that you can't do everything you want, like make dinner or work out?
I've been thinking a lot about balance lately and it's importance to our happiness with life! My talent has never been organizing, budgeting, list making...etc. I don't have great patience when it comes to these things. I find that I see something I'd like to do and at times I'm impulsive and rush out to buy the supplies to do it, other times I can wait, but many times I feel as if that idea eventually gets pushed to the back burner and becomes something that "I want to do someday", I blame pinterest for much of these ideas :)! I've never really been able to be stay at home mom! My daughter was born before I finished school, so I stayed in school and finished my degree, it was tough, I remember actually working hard to balance my life then so I wouldn't fail my classes, I would wake up at 5 or 5:30 and that was "me" time, I would read, exercise whatever I wanted to do....then I would get breakfast for my daughter get her ready and head to the baby sitter and class, when we got home, it was dinner, cleaning, playing, then her bedtime, and my homework time! It was busy, but doable.
My son came 4 days before graduation, I was able to stay home for that summer and felt I had an excellent balance, we had a routine, I felt my house was clean, we made meals, snacks, and lunch together, I exercised each morning! However, now it was my husbands turn to hit school full-time, and he doesn't have a super easy degree...Mechanical Engineering! So I found a full-time job...talk about throwing off my balance! I felt pretty out of balance actually, for some reason working was different than going to school full-time, granted I had two kids now, but still. I felt I never was able to take care of the house, my husband tried to help, which I was grateful for, I never felt like I had enough time to do things with my kids....I felt like I went to work, ate, and put the kids to sleep...then started all over! I was NOT happy! Well when it was time to go to a different school and we moved, I found a job working less and a job that was much closer, so I get home much earlier than I used to, which I love. However, some days I still find that I am struggling to fit everything I want to do in my day! So I've really put some thoughts to things that I think can help with balance, whether you stay home, work full-time, or your a student, or whatever it is so important to find balance in our lives, this blog is about health and happiness! If we feel our lives are moving forward but we really aren't progressing, we may be missing out on a lot of happiness! So....
- I feel it's very important to schedule "me" time EVERY DAY! Mine usually is at night when the kids go to sleep, but I do something I want to do, whether it's watch a T.V. show, or read a book...and you know what if I have dishes in the sink I do it before washing them or mopping the floor! It's my time and those can wait!
-Make a checklist! If you have something you really want to accomplish that day write it out. Don't let it become your someday idea!
-Use a calandar! If you have a large family or if it's just you write your week out and take a day each week to go over the upcoming week. We try to do it on Sundays as a couple! We write out work schedules anything we'd like to do and weekend activities. As a couple we've found it's good for communication as well as we both know what the other will be doing!
-Use your budget! If you have an idea that you want to do, such as a project or craft, put it in your budget! If you can afford it right then go for it, if you think you probably shouldn't get it yet, add it to a written out budget and patiently save for it!!!! (I hate the word patiently) but it will cause less stress for you and you'll enjoy it more since you know you can pay for it without denting your budget too much!
-If you can't leave the house to do things, turn your house into a place you want to go! For example when I really want to eat out, but we can't afford it or I don't want to risk the unhealthiness, we try and make a really fun meal at home, one that tastes almost like a restaurant, we rent a movie or whatever and enjoy a night in! Or the gym. I don't use a gym right now, since we're still living student life we are on a budget and our schedules don't always line up. So I don't have a gym with a day care so what to do...no exercise? No not a good choice, I turn my house into the gym. There are so many resources to exercises you can do at home. This is a list of exercises I use when I'm at home!
Balance is crucial to health and happiness. I'm working on it myself. I just know I don't like going to bed at night feeling exausted because I was so busy, but feeling as if I hadn't accomplished anything! This like anything else takes time and you need to develop the habit! Baby steps, but keep trying!!!!
No comments:
Post a Comment