Comments on: Stress Test http://tendollarthoughts.com/2012/10/30/stress-test/ Just another WordPress weblog Wed, 15 May 2013 22:23:27 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.4 By: Ana http://tendollarthoughts.com/2012/10/30/stress-test/comment-page-1/#comment-51441 Ana Thu, 01 Nov 2012 13:43:49 +0000 http://tendollarthoughts.com/?p=3761#comment-51441 I hear you on the weekends. We talk a lot about changing ours but haven't figured out what changes we can actually realistically make to make our "time off" more refreshing. I feel like weekends are a marathon of chores with the background of whining, and I'm so exhausted by Sunday night---not exactly the intention of having the days off of work. If you find any practical changes that work for you, please share! I hear you on the weekends. We talk a lot about changing ours but haven’t figured out what changes we can actually realistically make to make our “time off” more refreshing. I feel like weekends are a marathon of chores with the background of whining, and I’m so exhausted by Sunday night—not exactly the intention of having the days off of work. If you find any practical changes that work for you, please share!

]]> By: e http://tendollarthoughts.com/2012/10/30/stress-test/comment-page-1/#comment-51305 e Tue, 30 Oct 2012 22:59:13 +0000 http://tendollarthoughts.com/?p=3761#comment-51305 If it's any consolation, when you're older than dirt your stress level plummets. I often say that I choose to be happy - no matter what is going on BUT and that's a big but, I recognize that making that choice is a lot easier at this age than it was when I had six children under foot. And I guess that is what I'd say to all young mothers - yes, the stress is there - but if you can choose to be happy while dealing with science fair experiments or spelling tests or getting ready for trick-or-treating, your stress level will even out. If I don't get that walk in that I'd planned, who cares? I'd love to walk every day but sometimes it just doesn't work (unfortunately sometimes for days) so rather than get uptight about it, I move on. If I'd planned to dust or even better clean toilets and it doesn't happen, oh well - I guarantee that dust or whatever will wait patiently for me. If I'd thought I'd cook dinner and instead we bring in junk, that's life. Being stressed out about anything is simply not worth it. Just as importantly, if your stress level decreases, your children's stress levels drop as much or possibly more and that brings your stress level down even more. It's a tricky thing - stress - but it accomplishes very little so shoo it out the door and enjoy life. May seem simplistic but give it a try! If it’s any consolation, when you’re older than dirt your stress level plummets. I often say that I choose to be happy – no matter what is going on BUT and that’s a big but, I recognize that making that choice is a lot easier at this age than it was when I had six children under foot. And I guess that is what I’d say to all young mothers – yes, the stress is there – but if you can choose to be happy while dealing with science fair experiments or spelling tests or getting ready for trick-or-treating, your stress level will even out. If I don’t get that walk in that I’d planned, who cares? I’d love to walk every day but sometimes it just doesn’t work (unfortunately sometimes for days) so rather than get uptight about it, I move on. If I’d planned to dust or even better clean toilets and it doesn’t happen, oh well – I guarantee that dust or whatever will wait patiently for me. If I’d thought I’d cook dinner and instead we bring in junk, that’s life. Being stressed out about anything is simply not worth it. Just as importantly, if your stress level decreases, your children’s stress levels drop as much or possibly more and that brings your stress level down even more. It’s a tricky thing – stress – but it accomplishes very little so shoo it out the door and enjoy life. May seem simplistic but give it a try!

]]> By: Kristen @ Motherese http://tendollarthoughts.com/2012/10/30/stress-test/comment-page-1/#comment-51286 Kristen @ Motherese Tue, 30 Oct 2012 17:29:47 +0000 http://tendollarthoughts.com/?p=3761#comment-51286 Hi Gale, Thanks for offering your take on this question of seeking out happiness. I find your closing line especially resonant: whenever I'm feeling particularly overwhelmed, my first move is often (completely unhelpfully) to worry about how stressed I'm feeling. I also hear you on feeling that your weekend is out of whack. Recently I've made a slight shift that seems to be helping me some on that score: I try to schedule any beyond-our-family activities for Saturdays, leaving Sundays free for household stuff. I'm not sure why drawing that line in the sand has left me feeling more relaxed at the end of the weekend, but it does. It's almost as though Sunday has become a secular Shabbath for us, filled, yes, with laundry and grocery shopping and catching up on mail, but also with making soup and baking bread and really being together. Hi Gale,

Thanks for offering your take on this question of seeking out happiness. I find your closing line especially resonant: whenever I’m feeling particularly overwhelmed, my first move is often (completely unhelpfully) to worry about how stressed I’m feeling.

I also hear you on feeling that your weekend is out of whack. Recently I’ve made a slight shift that seems to be helping me some on that score: I try to schedule any beyond-our-family activities for Saturdays, leaving Sundays free for household stuff. I’m not sure why drawing that line in the sand has left me feeling more relaxed at the end of the weekend, but it does. It’s almost as though Sunday has become a secular Shabbath for us, filled, yes, with laundry and grocery shopping and catching up on mail, but also with making soup and baking bread and really being together.

]]>