Pages

Monday 5 December 2011

Finding A Balance


It is currently pouring perhaps bucketing is a better term with rain here in Perth. It has been since midnight last night, loud claps of thunder and lightning have accompanied the heavy rain also.

What better day to prop myself on the lounge with my laptop and catch up with my fabulous fellow bloggers with a bit of cooking/baking thrown in.

Dakota has clearly loved being inside and is oh so relaxed.

Can’t tell though can you?!



Today has also given me a chance to purchase the fabulous eBook by Peggy from cakecrumbs&beachsand, this was only released yesterday and I am currently half way through … pacing myself … and I love it.

Peggy certainly has a way with words – any of her blog posts will show this but reading her eBook which clearly outlines how passionate Peggy can be about things is inspiring.

It is titled ‘The Self Love Guide for the Working Mum’.

I believe that so many aspects already stated in the first half should be adhered to even if you are not a mother. Peggy has been on a journey to find an even balance that will allow her to continue working full time and being a fabulous wife and mother at the same time. So many of the valuable points in which Peggy makes are relevant to many women out there, mothers or not mothers.

Since becoming pregnant I have learnt quite a lot about finding time for me. I don’t believe I have mastered this and probably will never have a grasp on this concept 100% but I am open to learning.

I have always been a pleaser and a multi-tasker. I will say yes to every social event and will try and cram in as much housework/errand running as possible on a Saturday. I worked a 9-day fortnight at my previous job which helped a lot leaving me with both Saturday & Sunday housework/errand free. This, unfortunately rarely happened though.

I can never sit still, I always have to be up and about doing things, whether its spotting a pair of shoes on the rug that need to be packed away, dust on the kitchen table which needs to be wiped down, a load of washing that has just beeped which now needs to be hung out, the mirror in the bathroom with water marks on it – so of course that needs to be wiped down with windex.

It frustrates Rob as I can never completely relax – lying/sitting on the lounge always involves me getting up and down numerous times throughout the evening.

I would write a list at the beginning of each week – the list would outline what we were having for dinner each night, which errands/appts/gym sessions I would be attending each day after work and what we had on for that weekend.

The list was always FULL.

Re-visiting my list on a Sunday evening would not always leave me with a feeling of contentment, if I hadn’t ticked each thing off the list I felt as though I let myself down and felt as if I had failed.

Certainly not a nice feeling especially if this happened more than once within the month.

As I suffered quite badly with morning sickness up until week 14 of my pregnancy, I had to learn to let go.

My Mum was kind enough to clean our house each week until I was feeling better and saying no to social events had to occur as some days I couldn’t get myself away from the toilet bowl.

I certainly think that as an expectant Mum, you learn to think about others as soon as the two lines appear on that test. Soon there will be a little person within our family that we have to take care of, soon there won’t be all the time in the world to have a clean home and to go shopping, my feelings and wants will be put aside for this little person and I believe these thoughts/feelings start with pregnancy not once you become a Mum.

I am proud of myself for saying no to catch ups recently when I have needed the time to rest, I am proud of myself for leaving my floors an extra few days because I don’t have the energy to vacuum and mop – each day I struggled with this but so glad I allowed myself to do it.

I know that once I do become a Mum, my little bean will need so much of my attention and I will want to give it to them, who cares if my house is a little messy and if the washing basket is overflowing, as long as our little family stays healthy and happy, then I will certainly feel that feeling of contentment.

I hope that I find an even balance once this little bean does decide to come and meet us, between catching up with friends, as friendships are so important, keeping the spark between Rob and I alive, getting back into an exercise routine and down the track being a working Mum.

I hope you all take some me time occasionally and are able to relax and revive yourselves, because at the end of the day you were one person at a point in your lives – never forget that.

2 comments:

  1. That is beautiful Jayne. It is refreshing that you are already thinking about taking time out for 'you', which as you are aware is vital as a parent. I also find it hard to sit and totally relax, when I used to watch tv I would get up every commercial to do chores and wind up forgetting to sit back down! I have retrained my mind to relax, but it takes continuous effort.

    I love what you wrote about my book, you're spot on. And so lovely, thank you. :) xo

    ReplyDelete
  2. You make a really good point jayne, we do give up our 'me' time virtually from conception. And our bodies! When I was pregnant with my oldest it was right when all my friends were turning 30. I lost count of the number of parties I backed out of.

    Good on you for letting go!

    Not long now.

    ReplyDelete