Nenada has this understanding with her husband: the first hour of the day is her's. While her husband hangs with their little guy, Nenada spends the morning getting ready for the day and getting into the right mindset to balance caring for her 1 year old and overseeing the operations for the tea company. This hour during the morning is a part of their family's routine - Nenada, her husband, and the baby all know what their morning will look like and naturally play their part.
She also knows which work tasks she'll be working on each day of the week ahead of time and plans to tackle her more challenging task when her baby is napping at around 10:00 each morning. Having a plan protects her from the decision fatigue of figuring out what she should be expending her energy on. It also helps her to clarify her priorities so that she dives into the day with intention and is less prone to fall into response mode - the mode where we respond to other's needs and priorities vs. our own.
TRY THIS:
Dedicate one weekday to planning out your week and consider all of the following:
- Figure out which days will be dedicated to certain work tasks and when will you make time for unanticipated tasks. For example, you might reserve Tuesday and Thursday afternoons for catching up on things that took more time than anticipated or handling any work that pops up unexpectedly.
- Decide who will cook dinner each night and which nights you want to carry out dinner.
- Consider if you would like to schedule time to analyze goals, look into personal finances, or review your budget.
- Schedule "me" chunks of time for each partner so you can take turns working on or caring for yourself, without having to negotiate on the fly who will take care of the little one.
- Choose which days you will engage in a special family activity. For example, you might want to plan a family walk 3 times each week or dedicate Saturday to a hike and a picnic.
SELF CARE MATTERS
Much of parenthood is about learning how to deal with a little bit of chaos with grace and humor. Nenada enjoys taking baths once or twice a week to decompress. She also never misses her evening pot of LAVENDER CRÈME BRÛLÉE TEA - a nightly cup of her favorite tea lets her body and mind know that it is time to relax and enjoy the evening. She also loves to use essential oils first thing in the morning and right before bed: she loves LEMON OILdiffused in the shower to energize and uplift, and a drop of CLARY SAGEand ROSEMARY in each palm for a mini meditative aroma therapy session before falling asleep.
TRY THIS:
Jot down 10 things that bring you joy. This can include laying in the sunshine, snuggling up in the evening with a good book, or even certain aromas or flavors. Then, make sure you incorporate all of those things into your weekly routine.
People often feel guilty when they take time for themselves, but it is entirely necessary in order to contribute meaningfully to family and work. Making time for these rejuvenating practices will free up mental space for all of the challenges you face in work and home life: give yourself permission to indulge in them by making your list and committing to it. It's good for you and everyone around you.
RELAX WITH INTENTION
It is easy to find yourself scrolling on your phone before bed or when you first wake up in the morning. It is also easy to make yourself busy when you really just need to relax. Nenada often finds herself wanting to tidy in the evenings when her goal is to relax - as a solution she opts to spend time outside with her family because there are no distractions outside to take her away from her presentness.
TRY THIS:
Notice when you are opting out of relaxing. It is one thing to work when it is time to work, but if you find yourself busy when your goal was to enjoy a little down time with your family, that is not fair to you or your family. First, call yourself out. Acknowledge that you got distracted by the red icons on your social apps or dust on a shelf and refocus on relaxing. You and your family need this dedicated downtime.
WE HOPE YOU'RE STAYING HAPPY, HEALTHY, AND KILLING IT AT WORK AND WITH YOUR FAMILY!
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