Labels

family (10) giveaway (4) gumption (28) home (10) June (3) Local (10) monday mashup (3) nurse (1) outside (1) Restoration (6) style (17)

October 29, 2013

hands free mama blog and work-life balance

I am going to direct you first to a new blog that my dear friend, Lauren, recommended to me. 
Here
Reading this woman's blog and her ideas of life and how we ought to be living it speak a lot to me, and I appreciate so much her writings and her intentions to bring her children into a world in a way that says no to expectations, thoughtless living, overuse of electronics, and to-do lists.

Today I am thoughtful about my time away from work. Sometimes I feel like my life is split between this type-A nurse that is so busy she hasn't peed in 8 hours, and this person who sleeps in a bit, lies around lazily with the dogs, reads, runs, does yoga, crafts, blogs, and spends quality time with loved ones.  I think I try so hard to not be so rushed and relax on my days off to balance the crazy work days.
And I feel more thoughtful today because I don't like to live such a dichotomous life. And because after today, I work the next 7 in a row, and that thought leaves me admittedly a little melancholy (but please don't misunderstand, I enjoy my job, it can just be a little exhausting. And I imagine I'm not alone in these feelings towards my work?)
So I'm asking these questions today:
What if I could take some of that peaceful presence into my work life? 
What if I didn't "save" all my enjoyable activities/hobbies for days off? 
What if I changed my perspective about work to be one
 that remembers that this profession is one that I chose? 
That I'm good at? 
That I am honored to be doing?
 
I work in a very fast paced emergency room in southwestern PA.  In any 12 hour shift, I may have the opportunity to meet 15-20 patients of all various ages and complaints.  There is definitely a spectrum of hygiene and health knowledge, and I enjoy (mostly) trying to connect with each person, even the most uncooperative and unappreciative of them.

Those days may require more energy and of course I am at the mercy of the patients and the flow of the ER that day.  But doesn't each day, whether at my job or at home or wherever, deserve the same amount of respect going into it?  And isn't what we do with our time outside of work that influences our energy, intention, and ideas going into the work we do?


I am thankful for my work today. 
And I am really thankful that I'm still in my pajamas with a cup of coffee, too.
I read a Bible verse this morning, Micah 6:8, that continually speaks to me about how I believe we are called to live, and I am trying to remember that verse as I think about my life, my work, and what I do with my time.

what do you do to maintain a good work/life balance?

**And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
    and to walk humbly with your God.**

Micah 6:8


2 comments: