Going Back to Work

As you all may know, I got married a year ago and it change my world. I instantly moved from a single working woman, to wife, step mom, and working women. If that wasn't enough, I topped it all off by having my wonderful baby boy in August. I recently went back to work and I'm doing a lot better this week. Last week was extremely tough for me. Although my husband works in the evening, therefore he is with the baby during the day, I felt that my presence was needed. The first day I was teary eyed leaving the house, the second and third day was better, but that fourth day was the hardest. I cried all morning and could not get it together. How do I manage having approximately 4-5 hours with my entire family a night and manage to get myself together. The realization of this was so depressing and overwhelming. How do women do this?

I find that the above comment is a serious concern for many women, whether they are a new parent, new wife, or have a new job. Growing up, and even recently, I hear repeatedly that women cannot have it all. If she has a successful career, then her home was lacking, if she had a successful home, then her career was lacking. I on the other hand refused to believe we cannot have both at the same time. Now that I'm in that situation, I wonder if I should eat my words. I strongly believe that we women can have it all and be successful. If you are a woman who wants it all, don't want it all, or just want a piece of it, then this blog can be for you. Please feel free to join in with your response to my blogs on your feelings, concerns, and issues about being All Women.

After talking with close friends and family, I needed to take a step back and seriously evaluate the situation. I did not want to continue to feel sad and overwhelmed about everything on my plate and I did not want to fall into depression. That was not going to help me, my situation, or my family. I was given some great advice from friends and family and I would like to share them with you. We women have to be willing to take a break so that we can evaluate the situation with and objective mind. We do not want to lose ourselves in this process.

We women give so much to others but put ourselves last. Our nurturing spirit allows this to be very easy for us. However, it also allows us to feel bad, and selfish when attempting to do something for ourselves. We need to understand that our well being is most important, because if we are not happy then we can't get the job done and others around us will be unhappy. My first step to getting my sanity back was committing to changing my eating lifestyle. I have a healthy weight in mind and I'm determined to achieve it. By doing this, I have to cook more (I hate cooking) and be more conscience of what I'm putting into my body. I decided to do weekly menus. This helps me tremendously because now I know what I want to pick up at the grocery store and I don't have to worry about what to eat. I also, get my clothes ready for the week on Sunday nights, this prevent me from wasting time in the morning having to think about what I need to wear. I also incorporated a little beauty regimen so I can feel sexy. I get my eyebrows done once a month. It is important that we remember to do something special for ourselves. It doesn't have to be anything extravagant and expensive, just something to make you feel good about yourself.

Now, the above ideas are not the end all be all, and I do not swear by this. This is what has been working for me and my family it may not work for you and yours, but be willing to find what will work for your individual personality and family. Remember Life happens, we get sick, we get tired, and we can't accomplish all that we set out to do, so don't beat yourself up for not getting things done. Flexibility is another item I have implemented in my routine.