Life Balance: Juggling the Balls
Those of you who are working mothers know well the challenges of work-life balance. The Times Colonist had an interesting article today, Work-life balance a challenge for Canadians, addressing the economic downturn and its impact on working parents. Staffing cuts, longer hours, and workplace stress are all on the rise.
The article quotes a study from the University of Ottawa indicating that “Forty-four per cent of Canadians say their work has a negative impact on their family and interferes with the time they spend with their children, the report found, while 26 per cent of fathers and 33 per cent of mothers suffer excessive stress from lack of time.”
Let’s repeat that - 33% of working mothers experience excessive stress! In our Mama Renew sessions we have witnessed the impact of this “excessive stress.” The first things we tend to set aside are good nutrition and exercise. Our parenting suffers, and too often our children and partner bear the brunt of the stress.
Andrea Coutu, a Vancouver marketing consultant, commented in the article, “I think all parents are taxed to the limits regardless of what choice they’ve made, because it’s just a different set of balls that you’re juggling, it’s not that the balls ever go away.”
She’s right. There is so much focus on work-life balance that the question of parenting-life balance is seldom given its due. Regardless of whether we are full-time parents, or full or part-time employed for ourselves or others, the question of how to juggle it all seems to be ever present. The balls don’t ever go away, but we do wonder if there isn’t a way we can bring more “ease” to our juggling?
*********
What does life balance mean to you?
What helps you bring “ease” to the juggling?
What do you need in your life to feel that balance?
[...] on the routine moments in the day - bath & bedtime, meals, bedtime stories… As a self-employed working mother these are my primary moments with them. I felt sadness as other parents described forest [...]
[...] has to “give”. Each of us makes our peace with our reality – our unique children’s needs, work & school schedules, our home space – and strives to find a balance that will [...]
Balance is all in how you view your life – is it a series of chores and work, or are you looking for the joy in each passing minute?
My trick is just not to dwell on what I don’t have, but focus on the good of each moment. I laid down for a while when my toddler was napping earlier this week, and instead of thinking “oh boy, I’ll probably only get 10 minutes rest, and that’s not enough. I need more rest” (waah waah waah)… I thought to myself “isn’t this great? I’m horizontal. What a blessing it is to be resting at this moment.” Then I fell asleep for half an hour before we both woke up!
[Reply]
Thanks very much for the mention. Like many parents, I struggle to juggle all the balls. But I managed to fit in more personal time and exercise last year – thanks to Fit 4 Two – and I think this is a huge reason for the success of my business in the past year.
[Reply]