Managing Work,Family, life and Blogging

If you had have asked me how busy I was a year ago? I would have said far too busy, having a very active social life, 2 very busy children, a husband, dog and .8 position as a hairdressing lecturer. I would have said there are not enough hours in the day; I have no time to myself.

Yet here I am writing a daily post for my blog, my 4th Child. Its weird this time last year I felt like I was drowning with all I had to do. So what did I do? I started a blog, something that required more time and effort than I was already giving. Another ball to add to the 50 I was already juggling. 

Yet it seems to have had a positive effect on my life, almost therapeutic. I have always struggled with time management, I am one of those people that is so easily distracted so will set off on a task or a job, but half way through will come across another and complete that instead. My blog has taught me to write things down, prioritise tasks. 

It has taught me to leave work, at work. I used to always bring it home with me, potter at home on resources, and ponder over events of the day. I am now able to complete my workload at work, yes someday this means working through my lunch; but I am not bringing it home. And when I leave work unless it is urgent I don't think about it until the next day. This has had such a positive effect on my work life, as I generally do not worry about work related issues at home as I just don't have the time. 

I prioritise family life, yes there are times when I am checking emails, I try to do this whilst cooking dinner, or when they are in bed. We have a ban on any type of social media over dinner, no Mail-online, phones, twitter, snapchat, Instagram or email. 

This works well as it gives us all quality time to sit together, discuss our day and make plans together. Sometimes I look back on a day and think, argh I haven't given the boys enough time.  I haven't sat with them one to one and chatted. I wonder if I have fully answered Joe's never ending stream of questions. But most Mums suffer guilt don't they?

 Can we ever give our children enough of our time, probably not? But I don't want to sit back when they have left home, and think, I should have spent more time with them, I should have played Lego more, or drawn more pictures. What I need is a housekeeper to cook, clean and do the everlasting stream of washing. Well, a girl can dream cant she?

So when all that is done, I blog, but it does not feel like a chore, I look forward to sitting down and writing, I love taking photos and recording memories and feel that writing is therapeutic. Once I start I seem to get in a zone, a chilled out happy place where I am not thinking about facts and figures. It sounds ridiculous but I feel like I have had a massage when I have been writing. Like all the stresses of the day leave me. I used write my posts on my phone when everyone is sat watching T.V. Generally football, which I have no interest in what so ever. 

Then edit it after on my MAC this way I was not sitting in a different room from my family. Even though they are all engrossed in football. At least I am in the room with them and able to be involved in non-football related conversations. But Chris bought me a mac book for my birthday; I can’t believe how much this has helped.

I suppose it is all about balance, managing time and scheduling all the hats you wear so you can wear them one at a time rather than juggling them. Blogging has definitely helped me to do this most of the time and achieve a happy balance, and do you know what? I watch less T.V if that has been the compromise in my life, not watching 2 hours of T.V an evening, generally football! Then I can’t complain.