I want to send this article to all the young women in my circle of care, fix them a cup of tea, and tell them I'll handle the kids and laundry and phone calls while they read it. The big blazing takeaway = life unfolds in seasons. And wow, am I non-toxically grateful to have arrived at my current season of life.
I FUCKING LOVE THIS ARTICLE!!! Thank you Julia for the shout out (and sorry I’m late... I’ve been on vacation and trying to switch off because... y’know... balance...).
I hard agree with everything here. Work/life balance is not only a myth but YET ANOTHER thing we can then beat ourselves up for failing at. I’ve never had kids, and yet still feel exhausted and failing at life all the time. Then beat myself up more because I “should” be running the world and be full of energy given I have not procreated. Your point about sleep made me smile too - I seem to need a lot to feel at all normal, and my passion for early nights really impacts on my social life. Making me both weird AND a failure.
But you’re right - it’s bollocks. We can do things but not all at once and maybe, just maybe, that’s ok???
Thank you. Going to sit down quietly and muse on this for a bit.
I LOVED Annie's post when it landed in my inbox! She put such a different spin on things.
As for work/life balance, aside from when I was a single mom of a growing boy, I have never really felt overworked. Of course, balance couldn't happen until my son grew up but man did it happen at the stroke of 18 lol. I chose work that allowed me the most money in the least number of hours per week to avoid the 18 years I spent burning all the candles at all the ends raising him alone.
Just discovered you. Love this piece. Work/Life balance is a lie we're fed and it takes a minute to realize that. There is a choice to either believe the lie or to put down that load of BS and move on to a more believable life. I'm 75, clean and sober for 35 years, grateful (non-toxically) for all that I've experienced and looking forward to what's next. I have just subscribed to your feed.
Two things: congrats on the sobriety. I had terrible eating disorders for forty years and am the same since 2011. Addictions are addictions. Sobriety is sobriety. And I'm 71. This is our time. So much our time, Judith. Thanks.
I do love this! Work life balance is a crock. It is also not about time. You can spend 50 hours a week at work you love and have balance or 10 hours a week in a job that is killing your soul and have no balance. That is the smoke and mirror of balance. I like the stages you describe because sometimes life pulls you into a highly stressful time and you can't do a dang thing about it...from a cancer survivor. You just embrace the suck and look to the time you dig out and life is back to normal. Thank you for writing this! Amen!
I want to send this article to all the young women in my circle of care, fix them a cup of tea, and tell them I'll handle the kids and laundry and phone calls while they read it. The big blazing takeaway = life unfolds in seasons. And wow, am I non-toxically grateful to have arrived at my current season of life.
Right? Me, too. Another kind of MeToo. It took me way too long to learn to love the seasons.
I FUCKING LOVE THIS ARTICLE!!! Thank you Julia for the shout out (and sorry I’m late... I’ve been on vacation and trying to switch off because... y’know... balance...).
I hard agree with everything here. Work/life balance is not only a myth but YET ANOTHER thing we can then beat ourselves up for failing at. I’ve never had kids, and yet still feel exhausted and failing at life all the time. Then beat myself up more because I “should” be running the world and be full of energy given I have not procreated. Your point about sleep made me smile too - I seem to need a lot to feel at all normal, and my passion for early nights really impacts on my social life. Making me both weird AND a failure.
But you’re right - it’s bollocks. We can do things but not all at once and maybe, just maybe, that’s ok???
Thank you. Going to sit down quietly and muse on this for a bit.
Back atcha. I am sure we can find other toxic shit to rip!
I LOVED Annie's post when it landed in my inbox! She put such a different spin on things.
As for work/life balance, aside from when I was a single mom of a growing boy, I have never really felt overworked. Of course, balance couldn't happen until my son grew up but man did it happen at the stroke of 18 lol. I chose work that allowed me the most money in the least number of hours per week to avoid the 18 years I spent burning all the candles at all the ends raising him alone.
I loved it too but it also gave me some new angles through which to see our culture.
100% !!
Just discovered you. Love this piece. Work/Life balance is a lie we're fed and it takes a minute to realize that. There is a choice to either believe the lie or to put down that load of BS and move on to a more believable life. I'm 75, clean and sober for 35 years, grateful (non-toxically) for all that I've experienced and looking forward to what's next. I have just subscribed to your feed.
Two things: congrats on the sobriety. I had terrible eating disorders for forty years and am the same since 2011. Addictions are addictions. Sobriety is sobriety. And I'm 71. This is our time. So much our time, Judith. Thanks.
I do love this! Work life balance is a crock. It is also not about time. You can spend 50 hours a week at work you love and have balance or 10 hours a week in a job that is killing your soul and have no balance. That is the smoke and mirror of balance. I like the stages you describe because sometimes life pulls you into a highly stressful time and you can't do a dang thing about it...from a cancer survivor. You just embrace the suck and look to the time you dig out and life is back to normal. Thank you for writing this! Amen!
You are so very welcome Debbie. I love calling this kind of crap out. It's nothing new to this generation and it needs to to effing STOP.