The Wellness Poet
By Krissy Regan The Wellness Poet
The holidays feel so rushed at times and extraordinarily long at others.
Before I had children of school age, the school holidays meant nothing to me as a working professional, with disposable income. I could take holidays whenever I felt like it and didn’t have to think about the school year, how to juggle 4 weeks’ leave with 13 weeks of school holidays. I also didn’t have to bemoan the inflated prices of hotels during the school holidays. I will even admit that I avoided places tailored to families, as it was not relaxing. I was a typical childless snob!
That doesn’t mean I didn’t want children. I was unlucky in baby making, but lucky to have great holidays and travel experiences in my 20s and 30s. Now my life is very different and at first it took a lot of getting used to. Here’s some of my comical, yet real thoughts, as a mum of school aged kids.
- What do you mean school children have holidays every 9-10 weeks?
- How am I supposed to get any work done with so many holidays to juggle?
- You mean I have to pay for childcare during holidays so I can work?
- You mean School starts at the END of January and I’m going to be worn out from heat exhaustion and juggling work, and the holiday care shuffle?
Where is the Parenting Preparation Class for this I would like to ask? Where is the class that teaches you to balance, and budget so many kids’ holidays, with so few of your own, without going broke, crazy or completely stressed out??
What is the problem you may well be asking?
If this isn’t a problem for you, you may have one or a combination of the following;
- A partner who earns a good wage so one of you can afford to stay home most of the holidays.
- Grandparents on hand to take up the slack or just have the kids during the holidays.
- You only work during the school terms.
For the rest of us, I would say that we could be slightly envious of you, but we won’t go there now. Let’s be pragmatic, optimistic, and mindful of our choices.
Work life, Mum Life, Home Life and Personal Life is a careful balance and for many working mums. All four rarely work in harmony at the same time. It’s very hard to thrive in all areas, smash your goals and rake in the riches. Becoming a mum later in life has given me a lot of insights into the “before and after” life as a working woman. I felt I had it all, then I got more, and for a while now I feel like I have nothing. I’ve met other women who feel the same. No disposable income after years of maternity leave, no reprieve from the juggle, and no time to pursue passions or hobbies.
I want to open up this undiscussed topic, so that we can be honest with new working mums about the challenges that are faced and some tips that may help them manage and thrive.
So here are my top 5 tips for working mums to thrive this year.
- Start your year in February.
Yes, forget about January… your goals and resolutions can wait. Start them in February. No-one says you have to align your goals with the start of the Western calendar. You can choose the Lunar calendar instead which this year stars on the 1st of February. With schools not starting back till February 7th, it makes sense to plan for yourself from that point on.
- Bite Sized is Best.
Break the year down into bite-sized chunks. Elite athletes do not train hard all year round. They tailor their training according to the events they want to compete in, carefully choosing which events they want to attend, and what they need to do to prepare for each one.
- Review your support network.
Support systems are so important in order to stay healthy and connected. And I don’t just mean at work or at the school gate. Consider a range of support for your professional, personal and family life.
- Create a Rolling Routine.
Routines tend to be fixed and quite rigid to give structure to work and family life. But a Rolling Routine gives options and pathways when you face obstacles. In business, this is called Agile Methodology. The same can be true in family-life. We have a plan but we have options and we a can quickly amend our routine to take account of unexpected events and opportunities.
- Share your Intentions.
Trying to sustain goals without sharing your intentions with your family, boss, colleagues and friends will not last long. If you need to chat with your boss about your personal and family goals and your professional goals, do so. You may need to advocate for yourself and ask for what you want. In the same way, if you can share your goals with your partner, they may better support you throughout the year, so you don’t feel you are doing it all on your own. Then honour your goals and consistently set time for you.
The important thing is to align your expectations with all that you have on your plate. If you don’t align your expectations and plan accordingly following my 5 tips above, you will quickly become demotivated, stressed and burnt out. We don’t thrive from a place of overwhelm or feeling of failure. Also, understand that this is just a stage, a different phase, and each year will be different. As my young children get older and a bit more independent, I have a little more time, a little more breathing space and a little more capacity to do what I want to do, personally and professionally. But my family has goals and dreams too. So, I’m mindful of what they need to thrive, and what I need…. and so, the ever-careful juggling act will continue as I strive for balance, success, and harmony.
Just remember that nearby is someone Just Like You, so don’t keep your feelings to yourself. Find someone you can trust to talk to, vent, shout, laugh and cry if you need to. Processing and releasing your emotions is healthy. Don’t be hard on yourself. You are doing the best you can with what you have got.
Krissy Regan is The Wellness Poet and Founder of Mindful Mums Queensland. She is author of 4 new books;
- Broken to Unbreakable, 12 Steps to an Unbreakable Mind, Body & Spirit.
- The Koala who Lost his Heart.
- Bobby, a Horse who teaches a young girl how to Love.
- Go Get-em Mumma!
Krissy wrote these books and more than 50 poems, whilst working part-time at home, raising 2 small children and juggling the demands of her household. Krissy offers workshops, retreats and 1-1 coaching and launched her global online wellness school at the start of 2021. You can register right here and have access to 12 months of amazing wellness content for only $99.00 https://krissy-regans-wellness-movement-mindful-mums-3.teachable.com/
You can contact Krissy Regan at mindfulmumsqld@gmail.com or follow Mindful Mums Qld on Facebook and Instagram @mindfulmumsqld and view Krissy’s work here: https://www.thewellnesspoet.com/
