This week's challenge was to 'go easier on yourself'.
This was actually a new years resolution that I haven't really achieved. I wanted to 'go gently' on myself, slow down if I could and not feel guilty if things didn't get done. As someone who is always rushing and on the go, I wanted to try and ease on the brakes and also lessen the expectations I place upon myself to get everything done and lists ticked off.
When I look around at my family, they don't seem to be running around like headless chooks at full speed and they don't look totally burnt out at the end of the day like I look and feel. What do they do differently? They seem to be able to do one thing at a time, take their time, not notice mess, and they spend good amounts of time doing what they choose or need to do for themselves.
I on the other hand for some reason feel almost the entire weight of household chores and shopping on my shoulders. Often I find myself doing housework while others sit or sleep or relax. Now we have 2 extra people living here, I seem to be doing more than ever!
Now I am certainly not a clean freak by any means but I do have some standards. I don't like plates and cups lying around on every surface and piled in the sink. I hate bottle tops and chewed icy-pole sticks on my coffee table or the cats fur in my dinner. Why is it always me loading and unpacking the dishwasher or cooking dinner? Why am I the only one that notices if there are no clean undies or jocks or if there is no bread, milk or dunny paper? Why does no one think of what will be for dinner until they are hungry at 6 or 7pm. Why can't they do things they can see need to be done, or do they just not see it because it isn't important to them? So I find I am constantly multi tasking to get everything done, but instead of this being a good thing, the multi-tasking is actually making me busier! The more I am doing, the more time I have to do more!
So, my 'go easier' on myself challenge is as simple as that. I am going to lessen the expectations on myself to get everything done and I am going to do a little less. I will not feel guilty if things don't get done because they are not all 'mine' to do. I am going to make sure that each day there is a little time for me to do something for ME just like everyone else does.
My mantra for this challenge:
'Go gently on myself'
Good blog Lou. I completely understand where you're coming from too.
ReplyDeleteI think that as superwomen, we 'run' the household. For years, we've cleaned up, picked up, organised and sorted everything for everyone, and now they unconsciously expect it.
So maybe it is time for you to say 'enough', and back off. when they say 'we're out of dunny paper', say 'are we? you best go get some then, hey?' Or ask them to clean up their mess. I always make Charlie and Jade come back and clean up, even if it's just cushions from the couch that are on the floor that they move when they sit on it (my pet hate).
Don't sweat the small stuff, because you just stress yourself out.
The dishes, icypole sticks, dinner and general bullshit can wait. you need YOU time, and you must take it. Start delegating, because the superwoman cape gets heavy after a while.
Look after YOU.
xoxoxo