Survive the Juggling Act: 3 Tips for Los Alamos Working Parents
I know the struggle of juggling career advancement, spending time with my kids, avoiding burn-out, cultivating a relationship, escaping the loneliness of working from home, and everything else life brings. Balancing all of these important demands is tiring and stressful in and of itself. As a working mom, I have found a some ways to ease the stress coming from my juggling act.
Self-care
Taking care of yourself is not a luxury. How are you supposed to do ALL the things when you have no energy or motivation? You know the saying that you can’t fill other’s glasses if your glass is empty? Well, I have found that to be completely true, so I set some time aside to take care of myself in order to help others. Here are some things I like to do to clear my head:
Watch a favorite show
Read a good book
Go for a hike
Get pampered: massage, mani/pedi
Take a bath
To-do lists
I know it might sound simple but the act of writing down what you need to do is a game changer. I kept telling myself that I didn’t need to write it down because I knew what I had to do. Writing it out adds accountability, allows for prioritizing, and creates a sense of accomplishment as you check off items! I am learning that as I get older, I cannot depend on myself to remember everything I need to do. If you are just getting started, don’t overload yourself with everything, just write down a couple of tasks and you will be surprised when you complete that list how productive and motivated you feel.
Community
Being part of a community is something that I have found to be truly helpful. I have discovered several communities that help me create a support system for different aspects of my life. These groups have acted as my lifeline so many times as a working parent. In Los Alamos there are many groups that meet virtually or in-person, ranging from outdoor activities like biking and gardening to indoor activities like table top gaming nights. Los Alamos is also unusually Facebook-centric, but if you’re not on Facebook there are groups on Meetup.com as well. There are so many diverse communities in Los Alamos, there’s bound to be one for everyone! Some of the groups and communities that I belong to:
Ladies of Los Alamos (LOLA)
Freedom Church
projectY cowork
Los Alamos Moms