Monday, May 26, 2014

Week 2 of less stress project: 50/50

This week was not as stellar.

It's the sleep thing.  Normally, I was getting 6-7 hours a night, which was not enough for me. I was chronically tired.  So I vowed to bump it up to 7-8 hours.  One hour out of a 24 hour day- no problem, right?

Well, turns out that that one hour, while only 1/24th of the day, accounts for 110% of any "free time" I might have had.  Because I can't really take that hour away from work, kids activities, etc.  And I am trying to keep on top of groceries, laundry etc.  So that hour basically was taken from my reading, sewing, knitting, visiting, etc time.

This week I felt that. I was reading a good book (The Fault in Our Stars by John Green- a real tear jerker!) and I tend to get all OCD when in the middle of something that captures me, and I just wanted to stay up late and read it, darn it!  So I did, and as a result I gave up some sleep and had a couple mornings of being overtired, oversleeping, skipping exercise, snapping at the kids and feeling generally miserable.  But on the flip side- I really enjoyed reading that book :)

Food is also a problem for me- apparently I lack self discipline in that regard.  This week I will strive to fuel my body with healthier choices.

But I have to say, despite these set backs, I still had many moments of really feeling connected (especially with my kids), in the moment and that my overall stress was reduced.  I caught myself a few times when I was starting to become stress over inconsequential things, and nipped it in the bud.  I approached each day with a positive attitude- when asked "How are you?" I would reply with an enthusiastic, "Great, thanks!" and that often set the tone.

I am only human, and have learned some valuable things this week.  This is a process and perfection is unlikely, but I am getting there!  Just need to sort out the balance that allows for all the pieces to fit.

Have a GREAT week, friends!

4 comments:

Leanne said...

I constantly am trying to find the right balance, and as kids grow, the needs keep changing too so there are constant readjustments. One suggestion, don't skip the exercise, no matter how sleepy or grumpy. The endorphins can act as sort a sleep substitute and the balance of that day will be better.

What Comes Next? said...

What? You're human??? lol. Seriously, all good things take time, and everything in moderation right? Leanne has a good point - one I need to take to heart, too!

Shay said...

I think that your project is a work in progress and because you actually ARE human you're going to slip occasionally.

For me part of managing my stress is making conscious decisions about exactly what I need to stress about - if nobody is bleeding, we arent homeless and nobody has died - everything else is good!

agnes said...

You are not alone. I'm right with you. I try to remind myself that I can do anything - just not everything. I love that book too! I listened to it while sewing and, um, not sleeping.