Browsing Tag

work life balance

I’m a working mother

laugh

Life is truly full of surprises. Not long ago I was mourning the loss of my job, and before that I was heartbroken at returning to work (and it was the same job!).

And now this roller coaster called life has handed me something really quite wonderful. Part time work. Work that I can do at home two days a week. Perfect huh.

baby mushroom

What I didn’t expect to happen when I accepted this part time work was that I would feel so much better about myself. I feel valued… for my intellect… for my knowledge… because I can do this.

playing

I had no idea that so much of my self worth was wrapped up in my career. And really, there is nothing wrong with that… I have worked hard… And feeling this way about my work does not detract from how I feel about myself as a mother (processing all the emotions here!).

play

I’m actually a little worried about writing about this here, because I don’t want to jinx myself! (My ‘intelligence’ doesn’t stop superstitions it would seem!).

sunlight

And we are now settling into our new rhythm. Thankfully it has been a very gentle transition for the kids since a lovely friend comes here to look after them one day, and their nana-ma looks after them the other day. In our home, where I can still help if needed, where I can still breastfeed my little one to sleep. Where I can still hear them play outside *happy sigh*

drawing

I feel really rather blessed. And I thank the universe (I’m ‘taking blessed back’)

Warmly, Kelly

Part timer’s guilt

I have what I call ‘part timer’s guilt’. And I am sure I am not alone

Some weeks I feel I have somehow succeeded in walking the tightrope… retaining my ‘balance’ between my two worlds ~ my professional self and mama land.
While other weeks I feel consumed by one part of my life and worry that it affects the other. When in reality, I think I work very hard to ensure both keep ticking along as best as can be
At work I try to avoid being a bottleneck, and work extra hard to avoid this. I enjoy the professional challenges that come my way and pour a lot of mental energy into them {sometimes leaving little for the evenings at home}
But I am lucky that in my work ‘I make a difference’ and feel valued {for I am sure it would be much harder if this wasn’t the case!}
At home I try to ensure I slow down and enjoy the little moments. To play, to craft, to bake… and to just be with them.
So I stop and sit while they play… Smiling while I watch, joining in when I can’t resist *smile*
In this balancing act I find that if I stay present in the moment I am more productive, or connected to where I am and what that involves.
But at times my mind slips away to think about work when I am home, or to home when I am at work. So I write things down, or allow myself a moment, before diving back in.
And because I work my days all in a row, I have set up lots of memory cues to help me jump back in when the time comes.
However a lot can happen in a couple of days. So I have had to learn to let go a great deal more than before. And to maximise the input I can provide when I can.
But all in all, I still have part timer’s guilt

Do you have part timers guilt? What strategies do you use to manage it?

Warmly,
Kelly

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