Staying Sane in a Working Woman's World.....

Sign me up!!! That's what I told my lifelong friend, Lorry, when she told me about this seminar that she and I attended last night. Mainly because I need all the sanity I can get these days!! The 2 hour seminar was sponsored through First Things First. FTF, is a local not-for-profit organization dedicated to strengthening families in our community through education, collaboration and mobilization. FTF is a community resource that collaborates with and is supported by a broad cross-section of community organizations, groups and individuals.

The topic was "Staying Sane in a Working Woman's World" and it was held at a day spa - how perfect!!! Everyone got to indulge in great food, and our choice of spa services. She and I chose to have a foot massage/reflexology and the paraffin wax hand treatment. It was so nice and relaxing and a rare treat as well. At the end, we all gathered for discussion and here were some things that I took away from the meeting:

• Take time out for ourselves - We as women and as Moms, need to take time out for ourselves. We get so wrapped up in taking care of everyone else that we sometimes forget ourselves. I know for me, it seems that everyone wants a piece of my time and it's very difficult, if not impossible, to make time for myself.
  
• Ask for what we want/need - We need to ask for what we need/want instead of assuming that everyone can read our minds and then we are disappointed when they don't do what it was (in our mind) that we wanted them or needed them to do. I am very guilty of this and that is one thing that I would like to implement in my own life. I guess I've always been under the mindset that if I have to ask or tell someone what I want, then I'd rather not even have it.....I've learned over the years that this does not work and some people just need to have it s-p-e-l-l-e-d out or else you are never going to get what you want!

• Have realistic expectations - This one speaks for itself

• Have fun in life/Have a sense of humor - We've got to make time for some FUN in our lives!!! Life is not all about work, our children & our family. There's got to be some FUN every once in a while in our lives. We tend to take ourselves way too serious and sometimes a little laughter can go a long way. We all need to loosen up and don't be so uptight! I think that we are sometimes so focused on getting everything done, and we are so stressed out, that we lose sight of what's important in life.

We were also asked to list our top 5 priorities in life - the main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing!!! So often what we would like to think is our #1 priority, often times falls to the bottom of the list.

I know that I struggle on a daily basis trying to juggle all that life gives us and I'm constantly torn between work and family and keeping my house halfway straight. I am so very blessed that I am able to work from home and have since I had Addie. BUT, and I do mean a big BUT - it's not all it's cracked up to be....As much as I truly love being able to work from home, it definitely has its ups and downs, just like working at an office would. I sometimes think for me, it's even harder because I feel that I have to work twice as hard (at my big girl job) for fear that the rug will be swept out from under me at any given moment and I will have to return back to reality....One of the downsides to working from home is that I never get away from it and it is constantly looming in my head all the things that I need/should be doing even when I'm "off". Another side to that is that I have become a FREAK about my house because I cannot focus on my work when I look around and see an untidy house!!! I don't know what it is about me, but I cannot focus on anything when my house is a wreck. My sister and I have discussed this before and she feels the same way. It's like when my house is clean and in order, my mind is clean and in order....I know, I'm nuts!!!!

I do realize that a lot of the pressure and stress that I stay under - a lot of it I bring on myself. That's really a hard thing to admit but there, I said it!!! I think a lot of us do that to ourselves - we try to be WONDER WOMAN!!! I'm sure that there are those of you out there just like me that at the end of the day, sometimes I'm amazed at myself for all that I was able to accomplish in one day!..... I guess the most important thing is to just take a deep breath and take one day at a time. Do you know what really helps me when I'm so stressed out with work, trying to raise a 3 1/2 year old and everything else - I just think about how Jon & Kate do it and then I realize that I don't have it so bad!!!!