"From the outside, you"re keeping on top of everything
The day usually starts with a race are the kids dressed, hair combed, teeth brushed? Why do you have to remind them every single day? Why has nobody fed and peed the dog? Your turn again.
After taking care of everybody else, you get yourself ready for work and shuffle everyone out the door for drop-offs. By the time you pull into the office parking lot, you feel like you"ve already run a 10K race. Except you don"t have time to get the benefits of exercise, you have a jam-packed eight-hour day in front of you while you try to remember to make a chiropractic appointment because, ouch, your back is killing you. You can"t ignore the pain any longer.
You used to love your work it was so satisfying. Connecting with colleagues, using your brain in exciting and creative ways. Seeing the progress and change that you helped happen. It"s hard to admit, but you can"t remember the last time it was satisfying it"s a paycheck. But also another energy suck.
By the time you get home, it"s the evening version of the morning scramble.
"What"s for dinner, Mom?" You HATE that question! You and your partner try to coordinate logistics while the dog barks (nobody fed him again?!), the kids interrupt with questions, and your phone keeps vibrating. There was a time when making dinner together was about connection, even a spark of romance, not just coordination and frustration. Lunch prep, clean-up, baths, bedtime, and oh yeah, don"t forget to pee the dog before bed, too. You get it all done. You always do
But on the inside you"re stressed out and overwhelmed.
You"re juggling a bunch of bowling pins, and you"re terrified of which one you"ll drop next.
It"s exhausting. You"re worrying all the time, what appointment did you miss? Is today a half-day or a whole day at school? It has you on edge, irritable, and restless all the time.
It"s wreaking havoc on your body, mind, and soul. You feel it all as you burn out: weight gain, depression, sleeplessness, anxiety, and irritability.
You probably can"t even remember the last time you felt okay.
And if one more commercial, podcast, or well-meaning family member reminds you to "take care of yourself," you might just lose it and fall into a crying puddle.
Who has time to take care of themselves?"
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