How to keep things sane during insane times

I don’t know about you, but I’m VERY busy. Besides regular PR work for clients, I am in finishing up the final details on two revamped programs I will be launching in the fall.

Running a business and being a mom is stressful Add to that preparing for a move – and having my 2-year old twins diagnosed with Autism (and all that goes with that), you could say there are a LOT of plates spinning.

And I’m not alone. A survey of more than 1,000 female business owners who are part of the Make Mine a Million $ Business program found that 27 percent of moms have “a high level of stress related to balancing work and family demands, compared to just 18 percent of non-mothers.”

And not surprisingly, nearly 40% of moms with preschoolers (me!) said they had high levels of work-family anxiety.

So here’s what I’ve been doing to keep myself grounded.

Time out! I take at least 4 breaks during work time (about 15 -20 minutes) to just chill. Sometimes I pick up the phone and call a friend; other times I take a walk or play with the girls.
Eat! Although this seems obvious, many of us get caught up in what we’re doing that we eat on the go – or worse, skip a meal when we’re hungry. I find when I eat healthy meals and a couple of healthy snacks, my energy stays constant and I don’t stress about the little things.
Speaking of little things: don’t worry about them. There are always issues that pop up. Find out what’s really important and what’s not, then focus on the important issues.
Stop feeling guilty. There really is no such thing as balance, so why feel guilty that you don’t have your act together. No one really does!

Comments

By Escarlata

Shannon,

When I saw this in a FlyLady message this morning, I thought of you. Don’t know if you were aware already or if it will be helpful but wanted to pass it along.

From the FlyLady email:
Kim’s show is called Sensory Nanny. She helps parents understand Autism and give them tips to create routines and eliminate clutter to make all their lives more peaceful. http://www.blogtalkradio.com/stations/flylady/sensorynanny

Thanks for your blog, I’ve implemented several ideas that occurred as a result of reading your posts.

Escarlata

By DanGTD

Yes, eating often is important. It keeps your glucose (in the brain) at a constant level and this leads to more focus power for the tasks at hand. If you let it drop by forgeting to eat, you’ll eperience drowsiness and reduced productivity.

By Toilet Paper Entrepreneur

I think your best tip is Stop Feeling Guilty. It is amazing how much energy I waste when I worry, and feeling guilty is just a form of worry. So, I agree, stop wasting all that energy feeling guilty. Relax and THEN get back to work.

- Mike Michalowicz