How to Cope When Life is Hectic

Last week, I started back at my job after an 18 month maternity leave. I was nervous to return. Eighteen months is a long time away – would I remember how to do my job? Also, the thought of not being able to spend my time with my daughter throughout the day is simply heartbreaking. I always envisioned I would be a working mama, sending my daughter off to daycare each day and looking forward to learning about all the things she’s done during the day. Now, I’m having a hard time putting it to action. Perhaps 18 months was too long of a leave for me. Though I couldn’t fathom returning to work any sooner. The majority of my attention is drawn towards work and by the end of the day I’m exhausted. Life is hectic right now. And, it’s left me wondering how to cope when life is hectic.

Being an introvert I certainly prefer to have more quiet, relaxed interactions in smaller groups. Unfortunately for me, my job is far from that. While I don’t hate my job, I certainly don’t love it either. In comparison with the job of Mom, I would happily leave the corporate world to focus on raising babies.

Now, I’m not saying that working is the wrong choice for parents. This is simply my experience while I’m navigating my new-ish role as a mom.

I firmly believe you should do what’s best for you and your own personal family. For now, I don’t think it’s an option for me to stay home. But, that won’t stop me from dreaming about it.

How do you cope when life is hectic? I’m exhausted from my job, my daughter is at an age where she is constantly looking for closeness and connection with me, we have pets and other obligations.

Baby Steps

The biggest thing I’m doing? Carving out small chunks of time for myself. I hardly have any time to knit, crochet or sew since starting back. Even my cooking has taken a nosedive. This is one of the most common things I’ve heard or seen come up when doing research and honestly, it’s really quite impactful. Small chunks – maybe 5 minutes or a half hour – but these small increments help me remember that I’m more than my job or mom. Heck, five minutes to get in a few stitches on a knitting project gives me the feeling of accomplishment, and enough of it to brighten up my perspective a little.

Reframing the Perspective

Choosing to reframe the perspective is another fantastic way to cope when life is hectic. Certainly more difficult than the last, but evermore efficient. When I find myself struggling with the situation I’m in, whether my boss has a demanding deadline for me to meet or my daughter is having a meltdown I’m slowly learning to change my mindset and view of what’s happening. For a demanding deadline, I’m grateful to have the work that keeps my mind sharp.

During a fist-pounding-on-the-floor-red-faced tantrum, I take a minute to acknowledge that my daughter is growing and learning about the world around her.

Although it doesn’t seem like much, these two tips are impactful and helpful while navigating new and troublesome situations. Even if I once baulked at the idea of these.

Looking for more tips to cope when life is hectic? MindBodyGreen has a great article on the topic.