Great read Jo and it will resonate with every woman I know for starters. I’m definitely the human giver, constantly feeling the need to be the one that helps and is involved in everything. I’ve often felt that being ridiculously busy is ‘my thing,’ actually feeling proud when people say - I don’t know how you do it. I know in my rational head that, that isn’t a good thing and as I’ve got older I’ve noticed that it also means I do nothing really well, I just keep my head above water….. well, most of the time anyway. I feel the stress coming at me from all directions - work, the house build, keeping the house, family life, school, the list feels endless and often I feel the need to just crawl under a rock to hide for a while. Of course I never actually get to crawl under there, a little person will shout Mummy the second I try! Recently my husband mentioned that my face shows everything and generally everyone knows to tread carefully when I have ‘that face on’. That shocked me a little but having had time to reflect, I know what that face is, it’s hiding the million and one things going through my head at any given time and it’s the one I have on when I feel like no-one is helping me and it makes me cross. Why do I have to be the nag telling everyone to hurry, to remember what they need to do, I have so much on my plate, why does no-one else care. Bit of a pity party but it’s what stresses me out the most! Yet, I don’t want to be that stressed out Mum for my family, I know it’s not good for me either and so along with some of the tips you have shared I am definitely working on a better way and am changing things up. Things can always be improved. You just need to constantly reevaluate, work out how you could make things better. Being the busiest person in the world is no longer a success story to me, being present and a generally nicer and less distracted person to be around is much better.
Thank you for sharing Crissie, really interesting reflections and resonates with me too. Especially that sense that nobody else cares and it's all on me - I think that can be the 'go to' place for people who have had to shoulder responsibility as a kid or felt the need to be independent because of what's going on around them. I can see how that's true for both of us for different reasons.
I feel like you have glimpsed the future as next week's article is about the difference between an overly full life and a purposeful life, the psychological reasons we can default to 'busy' and how creating purpose can guide us through. Hope you enjoy that one too!
Great read Jo and it will resonate with every woman I know for starters. I’m definitely the human giver, constantly feeling the need to be the one that helps and is involved in everything. I’ve often felt that being ridiculously busy is ‘my thing,’ actually feeling proud when people say - I don’t know how you do it. I know in my rational head that, that isn’t a good thing and as I’ve got older I’ve noticed that it also means I do nothing really well, I just keep my head above water….. well, most of the time anyway. I feel the stress coming at me from all directions - work, the house build, keeping the house, family life, school, the list feels endless and often I feel the need to just crawl under a rock to hide for a while. Of course I never actually get to crawl under there, a little person will shout Mummy the second I try! Recently my husband mentioned that my face shows everything and generally everyone knows to tread carefully when I have ‘that face on’. That shocked me a little but having had time to reflect, I know what that face is, it’s hiding the million and one things going through my head at any given time and it’s the one I have on when I feel like no-one is helping me and it makes me cross. Why do I have to be the nag telling everyone to hurry, to remember what they need to do, I have so much on my plate, why does no-one else care. Bit of a pity party but it’s what stresses me out the most! Yet, I don’t want to be that stressed out Mum for my family, I know it’s not good for me either and so along with some of the tips you have shared I am definitely working on a better way and am changing things up. Things can always be improved. You just need to constantly reevaluate, work out how you could make things better. Being the busiest person in the world is no longer a success story to me, being present and a generally nicer and less distracted person to be around is much better.
Thank you for sharing Crissie, really interesting reflections and resonates with me too. Especially that sense that nobody else cares and it's all on me - I think that can be the 'go to' place for people who have had to shoulder responsibility as a kid or felt the need to be independent because of what's going on around them. I can see how that's true for both of us for different reasons.
I feel like you have glimpsed the future as next week's article is about the difference between an overly full life and a purposeful life, the psychological reasons we can default to 'busy' and how creating purpose can guide us through. Hope you enjoy that one too!