Balance in time for the weekend
I strive hard for balance in all things. It matters a lot to me in general, it matters more when I realize I’m going manic depressive. I work pretty hard to keep an even keel when I notice things going out of whack.
The week started wonderfully. A continuation of the last few weeks where everything I touched turned golden. Then Thursday happened. Then Friday followed Thursday and was a complete kick in the teeth.
It’s really hard when I’ve had a crappy Friday and then go pick up the kids. I’m short tempered (never a good thing), I’m impatient (never a good thing) and I just don’t have the reserves to deal with anything annoying. Never a good thing. When you’ve got two kids that you’re dying to see, you just don’t have time to ease yourself down to level ground.
Honesty is always a good thing. “I had a really crappy couple of days and I’m in a foul mood. I’ll try to be calm, please give me a little extra space.“ Dinners tend to be slapdash as I put less effort into everything. I try to be more mindful of my over-reactions to the kids, knowing full well that it’s almost impossible when I don’t have a handle on my over-reactions to my own self.
So, regardless of the myriad reasons why my week went off the rails, this is the strategy for keeping my precious family time on track.
Take a deep breath.
Stick to routine.
Cook a great meal. Extra effort to make something we love.
Take a deep breath.
Play a game. All work and no play…
Sleep in.
Take a deep breath.
Go do something fun.
Go do something for someone else.
I may not be out of the woods yet, but I’m feeling better than last night. With a little luck I’ll get through this yet. You may remind me of this one next time I act like an ass.