Finding balance...

Sigh. I need to find some balance between my da job (cant cut back until September), painting (which is ALL I want to do all day), family, house work, and time to decompress. I'm really overwhelmed with all the stuff going on in my life (too much of a bunch of good things) and I'm struggling to balance everything. Right now, Faith and prayer are helping me keep it all together, but only by a thread! How do you all balance all the facets of your lives? I'll take any suggestions!

Too much of a bunch of good things is better than many alternatives. That's a great place to start!!
I don't have an easy answer, but ironically one that will take up more of your time...to begin with anyways. I listened to an audiobook recently (while doing menial tasks around the house, or in the car, etc.) called "168 Hours: You Have More Time Than You Think" by Laura Vanderkam. It was really interesting and shifted my perspective completely. I downloaded it free from my local library. Synopsis here: http://lauravanderkam.com/books/168-hours/

And with whatever you choose to do or however you choose to spend your time, best wishes. Achieving the right (different for everyone) balance is a constant shift.

I just can tell you, enjoy all you have, you have a job, there is people who doenst, you have a pasion (painting) there is people who doenst have one, you have a family, there is people who dont even know their family, you have a house, there is people who doenst, just fell blessed and every day try to take an hour JUST FOR YOURSELF, that will relax your mind, your body, is not easy to manage all the responsabilities but something that works for me every mornig : think about one thing you are good at, and think about 5 people who you are grate for, Happy nut advise is a grate one too, we are womans we can do everything right?

Don't try to do everything. Others need to step up and shop, cook, clean, run errands etc. Family will always let you do everything if you keep doing it...so don't. My 2 cents

Yes, and delegate!

Thank you all! I think my life went through a lot of changes this past fall. My hubby told me I needed to find (reliable) part time work (I was hired by the Y at the front desk within 2 weeks of when he said that). My FP business started picking up (yay!), my youngest started full-time kindergarten, my first dog (with my husband) passed away (I still miss him so much) so we adopted a 6 month old puppy from our breed rescue and she needs a lot of rehab with anxiety. Now, we are heading for another change with school ending next week and my hubby is traveling for work for 6 days, home for 2 days and then traveling for 2 more, so I'm "prepping" to be a single mom for a short time. Also, I was on Pristiq for 18 months combined with counseling for general anxiety disorder, emetophobia and depression. After a LOT of work, my doc and I finally agreed it was time to come off the meds. There is no weaning phase for Pristiq. It only comes in 2 doses and I was on the lowest one the whole time! I went through almost 2 weeks of physical withdrawal (dizzy, nauseous, brain zaps - Google that one if you don't know what that is) and now I think the emotional withdrawal is kicking in. It's like someone has turned up the volume REALLY loud on my emotions. The highs are higher and the lows are lower and the temper is hotter, but this too shall pass!

I was just invited to a Girls Night Out in July at a place called "Painting with a Twist.". It's a BYOB art gallery where you learn to create a painting. Woohoo! I haven been on a GNO in soooo long!

Anyway, thank you all for your support and encouragement. I am grateful for all I have. I just want to make sure I don't neglect any of those things I care about and when too many plates spin, it's easy to drop one!

You should love the "Painting with a Twist". That was my daughter's first date with her boyfriend and she absolutely LOVED it! They each did "Starry Night" paintings (I honestly have to say that Jeremy's was better than Ashley's but were both great)

Well... it could be worse.

I am my mother's caregiver, no family or close friends close enough to help with that, I have one fulltime job (office job), one casual on call job (catering), my own makeup business, a house and yard to manage by myself. I get funding from a government program to hire care aides to be with mom while I am at work but it is limited funding. I cannot leave the house without planning in advance as someone HAS to be with my mom 24/7.

I have to plan grocery shopping a month in advance as I have to schedule the care aide, or, if I can squeeze it in I run errands on my lunch or coffee breaks from the dayjob.

I am pre-diabetic, have arthritis in both knees, both ankles are rebuilt, both hands have RSI and lock-up on me when I grip things.

I have no fall back position. And no personal time. In order to save on the funding for the care aides to have enough to pay them when I need to work at theatre, I take mom with me to a lot of my public face painting jobs where she is my brush washer... that physically stressful for me as I have to lift her and her wheelchair in and out of the car.

And I am menopausal.

So... you deal with the hand you are dealt. No one ever said it was easy.

I hope you don't misunderstand. I'm not trying to complain or feel sorry for myself. I know that my "problems" (which they are not by the way - they are just new situations to adjust to) are "problems" most of the world is dying to have. I'm just saying I need to put solutions into place to simplify and organize my responsibilities before they get any further away from me.

Oh no. Just sayin' we are all in the same boat, in one way or another.

Yep, I agree. Full time care of your mom must be an awful lot like having a young child, except you can't call the teenager down the street to babysit!

I don't have much support from family either. My husband is brilliant at his job, and supportive of me in both of my jobs, but is virtually useless (and pretty messy) in the house. Kind of like having a third child. My in laws are very narcissistic (maybe why hubby is useless with housework?) and my parents are helpful but as of 7 years agolive in another state.

What doesn't kill ya makes you stronger right?

Yeah... a lot like a kid but I have to have someone physically able to assist her so it limits who I can call... I go without milk or cream a lot as we'll run out and I can't leave the house to pick up some, and if I am working and can't fit in a quick stop at the grocery I don't get my morning coffee as I can't stand it black

I can't even mow the lawn without planning - I am out of the house too long and mom will need to use the toilet. So I have to alternate front and back on different days.

My advice is to start drinking heavily...

Uh-oh... did I just say that out loud?!

I have started adding Baileys to my ice cream (which I shouldn't be eating as I am also lactose intolerant... )

Miss Ronnie, then my lines will go all wonky, I bet I could paint some neat tribals that way though. Hmmm...

Shannon Fennell wrote:I have started adding Baileys to my ice cream (which I shouldn't be eating as I am also lactose intolerant... )

On the days you have no milk or Cream, Baileys goes REALLY well in coffee - but probably not BEFORE work!

No, not before work... I am zero tolerance drinking and driving. One shot makes me fuzzy as I don't drink except on special occasions. I'm not a teetotaller BUT we don't use alcohol except at Christmas (the Bailey's is leftover from making Christmas dessert)

Shannon Fennell wrote:I have started adding Baileys to my ice cream (which I shouldn't be eating as I am also lactose intolerant... )

Shannon, I am allergic to the protein in cow's milk but find coconut milk ice cream (and milk) to be a tolerable substitute. Goat cheddar and parmesan is pretty good too... But that might be reserved for the lower half of Canada. For you, it might be moose or wolverine milk?


Anything is good with Baileys!

Coconut milk ice cream?! That I am going to go look for! I am not a huge fan of soy as it is pretty much 100% GM the world over.

And I triple dog dare you to milk a wolverine...

Bet you could do it Shannon. I have faith in you!

(*giggle*)

I live in the hills in the lower half...But I ain't stoopid.
(Well, the results are not in yet. But I'm dang sure of it.)


P.S. Being pre-diabetic, if you need to sweeten anything, Stevia is a natural sweetener that is safe for diabetics as it hardly registers in blood sugar. It's pretty powerful stuff I hear, and a teeny-tiny drop goes a long way so be careful if you decide to pick any up.
And International Delights coffee creamer (hubby's fav) is lactose-free. Almond milk (Blue Diamond, Original flavour) is my favorite for cereal (vs coconut milk - better for baking).

Would milking a wolverine be a good odd challenge?

I know this sounds utterly wrong, but I'm going to write it anyway...
Does milking Hugh Jackman count?

I am a little naughty, aren't I?

Miss Ronnie, I think I love you!

Sorry, Becky... unless you can do my lawns, I am not interested!