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The
One Woman Juggler
All women who have full time careers (whether
it is inside or outside of the home), families and their outside activities,
volunteer work and even perhaps trying to fit in some personal time for
themselves are jugglers of time.
Do you find yourself caught between work, kids and their activities, maybe a
significant other, household chores? Do
you find it hard to squeeze in personal moments?
Well, welcome to the club. As a full time writer, 2 kids, one husband,
4 fish, and one house. I find it a
daily struggle to keep on top of things and have been feeling a little stressed
out lately.
During the summer months, my daughters and
I decided to take on a project to help less fortunate kids around the
world. We are making bracelets which we
sell and the money will go to such an organization. Then my oldest daughter had the bright idea of supplying our
local children’s hospital with them, with a portion going to them, and a bit
coming back to us. They loved the idea,
so it seems we are in the bracelet making business. So besides everything else now, I am a bracelet maker as well.
Here are a few ideas that help me relieve
my stress:
- exercise – moving helps relieve stress –
walk on your lunch hour. A flow of
endorphins following exercise leaves you with a feeling of well being. (I walk
my kids to and from school 4 times per day and squeeze in the occasional walk)
- I keep a journal, it may not be for
everyone, but it’s a great place to rant and rave (and no one gets an earful!!)
- listen to music. I have the radio on most of the time during
the day (unless I am writing). It helps
get your mind of stuff.
- celebrate your circle of friends. Friends are an important support system for
you. Whether they be work related
friends or personal ones, try and make time for them.
- meditate, for me, it helps to know that
there is a higher being that helps me put things into perspective.
- take some personal time. Night time, after my girls are in bed is
time that I take for myself. I try and
read a chapter or two from the latest novel that I working on or watch
something on TV. It is the time that I
take for just myself.
- bring the outdoors indoors. For me, that involves having fish. I have an aquarium here in my office (which
happens to be our kitchen). It is
relaxing to see the fishies swimming around with not a care in the world. For others, it could be plants (not for me
though, plants tend to die a slow painful death when they are in my house!!)
These are just a few ideas on how to I combat
stress that can build up on a daily basis. What helps you?
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