I started volunteering with Home-Start Camden & Islington almost two years ago. In that time, I’ve written almost a dozen articles. I’m writing this right now, and the deadline for it is today. This is not unusual.
Almost every article I have written has been close to, or even slightly after, the deadline set. This isn’t because I’m lazy, or because I don’t enjoy it. On the contrary, I love writing for Home-Start.
But life is sometimes difficult. I have a full-time job, and a child who is nearly three. Most of my time is taken up working and looking after the little one. On top of that, there is housework, finances to manage, and very occasionally, a bit of free time for my partner and me to relax. It leaves very little time to do anything else, even something rewarding and enjoyable.
I’m sure this rings true for a lot of working parents. How on earth do you find time to do anything when your life is jam-packed with exhaustion? There aren’t enough hours in the day.
My first bit of advice if you struggle to manage being a working parent is this: be kind to yourself. You’re not a robot. Everybody finds it difficult.
The best thing to help you in these circumstances is to try and organise your day. I don’t mean a full-on hour-by-hour plan, but try to set yourself small, easy-to-manage goals in the time that you have free. Need to search for a new job? Aim for half an hour when you’ve put your child to bed. Want to read the book you’ve been looking forward to that’s been laying on your bedside table for months? Try to read a chapter before you go to sleep.It’s important to reiterate that these should be small goals. Don’t overwhelm yourself by saying you’re going to redecorate the living room and learn a new language on Friday night. You will fail, and this will make you feel worse. Small, but simple. It will help you gain a little bit of control back in your life.
Try some breathing exercises on YouTube. These are usually around five or ten minutes, and they are great at relieving stress, and refreshing your mind and body.
My final tip is to leave your devices to one side when you find some blissful time for yourself. It’s so easy to pick up your phone and scroll the internet or play mindless games. However, this won’t help you do any of the things you want or need to get done. Put your phone away and enjoy your time.
I mentioned earlier that you aren’t a robot, and I stand by that. Looking after children, feeding, clothing, entertaining them while dealing with a deluge of work is hard. Well done. You’re not a robot. You’re a superhero!
Written by James Doyle