Lived Experience Forum

[Happyone74]

Hey everyone

Its been a while since I wrote on here. Infact I’ve only written once and found it overwhelming to actually express how I was feeling.

For now I’m doing ok. I manage to juggle full time work with my 2 kids on my own. 

I wake up some morning and wish for the weekend to come around and before you know it it’s all over and back to work again for the week! The days go by so quickly and I wonder why I am here and what my purpose is. Every day is like Groundhog Day. 

I wake up most days feeling groggy and like I’m hungover even though I don’t touch alcohol and I question why? Im extremely healthy with my diet yet it doesn’t seem to help. Does anyone else feel this way? Is it all about our mindset?

Surely life has more to offer than this mundane slogging it out hard work day in day out.

In case your wondering my username is ‘happy one’ because I figure if I can portray a happy persona though my title then perhaps it will shine though...

May you all have Happy days ahead everyone xxx

[s-jay]

Hi there @Happyone74 - welcome back to the forum, we are really glad you made it back... Have you found any other threads to get involved with?

I'm new here too and I quite like the look of the Good Morning thread as a good way to see who is online in the mornings and who might be up for a chat...

Then there is also lots of good threads in the Looking After Our Wellbeing section - for example one member started a Gratitude journal here: https://saneforums.org/t5/Looking-after-our-wellbeing/Gratitude/m-p/567389#M49559

Do have a browse around and don't feel like you have to talk about everything thats going on if it's too overwhelming!

All the best...

[Fredd50]

@Happyone74

A big, resounding yes!

I think you've got the nail right on the head! 

We do seem to go way too fast, with too few hours in every day to do all that is put in front of us.

Looking after 2 kids and working full-time is a lot, a lot of things for one person to have to do.

I think it is all about our mindset, but by "our mindset" I mean the mindset of our society (or a handful of them at the top). Which says the meaning in life is getting paid for work - whether that work is satisfying , worthwhile or meaningful for the individual or their community. It also assumed that the number of hours we have to work each week to make enough money to get by, as well as meeting our other responsibilities will be worked out fairly by the market, which of course it isn't.

As for the question of whether anyone else feels this way, overwhelmingly yes. Lots, and lots of people are feeling that way. And increasingly so. But fortunately, it has been leading to a lot of discussion. 

I wasn't sure from your post when you said you found it overwhelming to express what you were actually feeling was overwhelming good - as in overwhelming relief, or just overwhelming but I think it looks as though @s-jay got the impression it was the latter.

If you were looking for a space to express/explore your thoughts on this, I'd love to hear them - it's something I've been trying to get my head around ever since I was a youngster looking for a ''career".  A word that literally means "move swiftly and in an uncontrolled way", which is kind of funny but often pretty apt.

[s-jay]

Just checking in on you @Happyone74 - how has your week been?

[utopia]

@Happyone74. Great question . I think life needs to be about more than just work (even if you love your  job) . There needs to be balance to have good physical and mental health. 

Feeling like part of the community. 

Catching up regularly with friends and family. 

Regular exercise. 

Regular healthy meals. 

Regular sleep. 

Doing activities you enjoy. 

Being content with the life you've built or are building. 

With young children,  it might be easier to have friends over to visit you on a weeknight.  A half hour catch up and some laughs - a great  way to unwind from work. 

As a single mum,  be sure to have some down time without them.  Go to the movies or have a bubble bath or read a book or go for a bush walk.  Something you  would  enjoy. 

Take things step by step & don't be too hard on yourself.  You are a busy mum.