How to Achieve Balance

This week, I’m writing a short post. After my return from the long Easter break in Paris I’m trying to catch up and get some semblance of order and balance back into my life!  I’m behind on so many things that I’m almost too overwhelmed to know where to start.  Some things are very important (passport issues) and some are less important (catching up on emails) (admittedly, all are first world problems) but the sheer weight of everything in between those two is causing me anxiety… and I don’t usually do anxiety.

So how do I get some balance and address the cloud of anxious dread hanging over me?  Here’s what I do:

1. The first thing is gym.  Even though I could really use those two hours while my son is at nursery to chip away at my to do list, the time spent raising my heart rate and lifting weights is the difference between me being a happy overwhelmed person and me being a miserable, short-tempered, overwhelmed person.
2. The second thing that helped was gin!  Despite my current chaos, I gave myself some quality time with one of my close girlfriends… not being Mommy, not being a wife, not being a grownup with a mountain of paperwork to get through… just being Lisa.  Enjoying that late night dinner of with lovely gin cocktails put everything back into perspective for me (Thank you, Cate!).
3. Another thing that helped my frame of mind was spending some time gardening.  If I’m honest, it was actually pure procrastination.  I trimmed hedges, hacked back the ivy and wisteria, mowed the lawn, watered the roses, jasmine, and hydrangeas, and soaked in the loud birdsong all around me.  I put some of this on my Instagram stories and it has been my most popular ‘story’ to date.  Spending a little time in nature, even with a huge city whirling around me, is crucial.
4. The last thing that helped me through this week was my pack of blogger girlfriends.  My source of daily laughs and knowledge from The Over Forty Collective makes my life so much easier.  If I don’t know how to do something, one of them will.  (Can I also just take a second to brag that Catherine recently won the UK Blog Award for best Fashion and Beauty, and Nikki won runner up?  I’m so proud of these two!)

So there you are, the four Gs that help create some balance in my life:  gym, gin, gardening, and girlfriends.  Let me know if you have any tips for surviving the chaos when you’re spread thin and overwhelmed.

One day last week, I forgot to bring my son’s coat, his cap (part of his nursery school uniform) and his book bag to school. Yes, it takes some skill to be that distracted and forgetful of a parent, but we all survived.  I’m hoping to get back to whatever my ‘normal’ is this week (despite houseguests arriving midweek).  I wish you a good week ahead, full of balance and laughs.  Now I’m eager to get a sparkly outfit post up next!  xx

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