Two days and three nights.
That’s all it took for five-year-old Little Man and Teen Girl to hurl my organized
world into an alternate universe.
By Monday morning when the
alarm blared at 5:30, I was whipped, and I still had one more day and night to
go. Usually, I shower and dress, and then leave the bathroom for the big guy
while the dog and I head downstairs. The dog doesn’t say much, and hubby knows
not to ignite any worthwhile conversations until I’ve consumed one cup of
coffee. But the miniature chatterbox? He didn’t get the email.
Just hook me up to a caffeine IV!
I’d lost my equilibrium, my
patience, and yes, my sanity. Even the dog scouted out a dark, quiet space,
away from flying objects, runaway bikes and thousands of Lego pieces.
 |
| He's ignoring me. |
God bless daycares and the kind souls who work in them.
It’s not like we hadn’t kept
the grandkiddos for an extended period before, but this time prior commitments
kept hubby busy, away from home, and red ink splattered this particular chunk
of time across my calendar. Two of my books just released, three more scheduled to release from July through October, and one more in December. Did I
mention that the October book, Roping the
Cowboy, is my first self-published venture? Neck-deep in edits and cranking
up a new business, exhausted was too mild an adjective.
But life doesn’t always
cooperate, does it?
Whether you’re a new
caregiver or hurled into a temporary situation, here are a few tips to restore your balance:
Pray. Before
you crawl out from under the sheets, pray for strength and fortitude. And buckets
of patience.
Don’t slap the snooze. I could’ve slapped the snooze button or shoved hubby out
of bed first, but I craved those few minutes alone and the comfort that comes
with routine more than sleep.
Exercise. The
Mayo Clinic lists
seven benefits from exercise, like weight control, improved mood, energy
boost, and…improved sleep? Ha! Who
needs help improving sleep with a five year old around? But, the energy boost I
could use and there’s something about the peace of an early morning walk that calms
an anxious spirit.
Adjust your schedule. How can you maximize your efficiency? Arrange your day/week/month
accordingly. My creative muse comes out to play in the mornings, so for me,
this meant working primarily on non-creative writerly tasks for a couple days. What could you give up to
make the day go more smoothly? Scale back to the bare minimum. Don’t stress
yourself by worrying about tasks that aren’t important in the overall picture.
Caffeine. A
giant cup in the morning chased by another in the afternoon provided just
enough juice to power through without making me jittery.
I’d love to hear your thoughts. What
tips would you add?
Labels: 5 Tips to Restore Your Balance when Your World's Off Kilter, blogger, Dora Hiers, grandparents, Mayo Clinic, Roping the Cowboy, self-published, seven benefits from exercise
