I am a social worker in a Primary Care Clinic. I work 40+ hours per week and often barely have the energy to get through the work day. My primary question is, how do you balance work/life/home demands and have enough energy left over at the end of the day to give to those that matter most in your life (Husband, Partner, Children, Family)? I sometimes feel like my husband gets the short end of the stick when it comes to my energy level and ability to do things when I get home from work. My job is very demanding and at times, stressful. Just to note, my husband is my biggest supporter and has never expressed to me like he "gets the short end of the stick", but I feel like he does sometimes. I give, give, give at work all day because, of course, there are performance expectations and requirements at work and when I get home, I don't want to do anything but relax and de-stress. Some nights I can't even cook dinner because I'm so exhausted. Is there any way to balance your energy and be able to give more when you get home? We never wake up with the same energy level and it goes up and down throughout the day, so this isn't any easy question to answer.
Also, I HATE that I have to take naps on the weekends. My body loves it when I do, but I very much dislike it because it takes up time that I could be doing other things. On the other hand, when I get to the point when I have to take a nap, I'm not sure I could get much accomplished anyway because I'm so tired. It's a vicious cycle.
Hi Sara. I haven’t found a way to manage energy throughout the day but I do a lot of meal planning, housework, laundry, etc on the weekends when I’m not wiped out from a long day at work. I’m a Tax Compliance Agent so I have to be on my “A” game all day at work, and that’s a struggle most of the time. The toughest part of this process for me has been accepting there are certain things I can no longer do. But, I’ve also learned what matters most to my family is me, not a spotless house or a home cooked meal every night. I stay connected with my family in the ways that I can when I’m having a rough day, even if it’s only a conversation with my husband and kids. They see what I go through and understand that sometimes, every ounce of energy I have is going in to that conversation and that’s all I’m capable of at that time. It’s tough and I can relate to how you’re feeling but we can only do what we can do.
I like my naps! I take 15 minutes every afternoon, and it helps keep me going. Also, we make two of everything on weekends, so that I can freeze the extras for another day. Saves me from many a weeknight dinner prep. Little short cuts help a lot. Making meals ahead of time. Spreading my work day out, planning ahead, you’ll find little tricks to help you cope as time goes on. It gets easier. Really!
I agree that conversations are very important, even if that is all I can give. I think I'm just being too hard on myself, again. It has been difficult for me, like you, to accept things I can no longer do; and I'm still fighting it sometimes.
I'm trying to make a more concious effort to notice what works for me and make things "easier" on myself throughout the work week. I'm going to try the preparing double and freezing additional meals, great idea! This will save me from having to make dinner a couple nights a week or lunches for the work day for my hubby and I. I took a few extra breaks at work today and that helped as well. I sure hope it gets easier!! : ) I'll take your word for it until I can get my routine down to a point where I can start to feel it.
Sara, when it comes to planning/ cooking meals-I have utilized my crockpot a whole lot more! It’s just the two of us, so I my crockpot isn’t one of those ginormous ones. That helps along with the fact the my dear husband doesn’t mind eating popcorn for dinner when I am not able to fix a nice meal.
HUGS from Deb