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Balanced Moms
A newsletter designed to help you create the balanced, meaningful, and enjoyable life you deserve.
Women's Happiness
October, 2007
The New York Times (9-29-07) published the results
of two separate studies which reach the same
conclusions: over the last thirty to forty years, men
have become happier while women have become
less happy. The authors conclude that the reason for
this trend is because mothers are doing more
unpleasant activities than men by juggling work and
the majority of household responsibilities. Men
have
increased their non-work leisure time while women
continue to engage in activities they don't enjoy- such
as laundry, housework and the more mundane duties
of parenting.
Interestingly, both men and women
report that they enjoy their paid work. It isn't the
increase in paid work that makes women unhappier.
It is the amount of time they devote outside of work to
duties they don't enjoy.
I believe that the same is true for stay-at-home moms.
They spend huge amounts of time in activities
that become mundane and draining- when they are
not balanced with more enjoyable experiences. And
they don't have the buffer of paid work.
How can moms be happier? I have a few
suggestions:
Share the load with your spouse.
Your spouses or partners need to understand that
all work and no play at home leads to burnout,
depression, exhaustion, and a host of other ailments.
Does he want you to be more intimate? Does he want
you to be happier? He needs to help out more at
home.
Create a chore system that works.
Take the time to figure out what chores you
don't like and delegate some to your kids. Since
developing a successful chore system can be
complicated, I'll devote next months ezine to this topic.
Hire what you can afford. Over and over, I
hear women tell me they can't afford more help. But
many of these women wear expensive clothes and live
in luxurious homes. The real obstacle is usually a
matter of priorities and overcoming guilt. You can
probably find ways to spend less in some areas and
hire more help. And don't forget the benefits of paying
a few dollars an hour for a mothers helper so you can
enjoy cooking and other duties. Isn't it more enjoyable
to cook a meal without constant interruptions?
Do more of what you enjoy. My friend Cathy
has arranged a monthly outing where a group of like-
minded women go into Manhattan to explore and have
fun together. I'm lucky enough to be a part of this
group. A client of mine has started enjoying solitary
walks on the beach. What do you have in your area
that is fun? Hiking? Museums? Interesting
restaurants? Dancing? Cooking classes? Do it with
friends or do it alone. Just make sure you do it!
Take the time to better balance how your spend your
energy. Life is short. You deserve to enjoy it!
Bria Simpson, MA
Life Coach, Parenting Specialist and Speaker
Contact me for
a complimentary consultation to learn if
coaching is right for you. If you think a friend might
enjoy my newsletters, please forward this to them so
they can subscribe on the link below.
Visit
http://www.briacoach.com to learn more about
my
coaching services and my book,
The Balanced Mom Raising Your Kids Without
Losing Yourself. The book is also available
in all major bookstores.
© 2007 by Bria Simpson
All rights and media reserved.
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