Finding joy in the everyday

Part 8: I’m frazzled, how do I cope? Working women have many challenges and one of these is trying to run a household and work at the same time. It isn’t easy and for some women it is extremely stressful and tiring. On Facebook I came across a question from a reader which I am sure many of you are relate too. It came from "The Organised Housewife" page ( source ) READER QUESTION I work full time, have 3 kids (3-8) and don't get much help around the house, everything is left to me.  By the time I finish dinner and fold all the washing, I am exhausted, no time for cleaning the floors, kitchen or general tidy of the house. I don't like the house this way it's getting me down. Any tips from other working mums on how you keep up with the housework, would be very appreciated. What can working women do to minimise stress levels and exhaustion but still manage to work and care for their homes and families? It is a tall order but doable.  **Please n...

Part 7: What am I going to wear to work? In like manner also, that the women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with propriety and moderation, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or costly clothing (1 Timothy 2:9) Whether at home, visiting friends, going to a party or going off to work — we need to wear clothes that reflect our Christian life. This post is as relevant to a stay-at-home mum to one that works.  As Christian working women we must not ignore the fact that the clothes we wear contribute to the impression others have of us. If we wear revealing clothes, short skirts, tight outfits etc.. and at the same time call ourselves Christian, what message are we sending our workmates. Something very confusing.  We are carrying the reputation of Jesus Christ with us, so it is important that our personal appearance never hinders our witness. Whilst it is important to be smartly dressed at work   (or if we are going off to church) we need to make ...

Part 6: Working from home I have never worked from home so I decided to ask someone who does and find out what it is like to run a business from home (while homeschooling) and what advice would she give others considering it.  Thankyou Clara for your honest answers and I hope it is helpful for anyone considering setting up a home-based business. How difficult is it to time manage when running a home-based business? I have heard of some women who keep their work within certain time slots and that works well for them. To this point I haven't been able to do that and still meet the demands of my customers/workload. This means I have often put in 12-14 hour work days (6 days a week) and I've had to run my household from behind my sewing machine. This is something I've found extremely stressful - and the family has suffered for it.  As a result of these difficulties, at the beginning of 2017, my husband and I decided I should try something new - I sh...

Source During World War Two there were a very special group of amazing women. These were the women test pilots. Once the planes were made (by women in the factories), each plane had to tested and flown to its destination - which could be anywhere across the United Kingdom, Europe or for those in the USA, anywhere in the country.  One woman, Mary Ellis, piloted more than 1,000 planes of 74 different types. And this is what made these women amazing. They could hop into any type of plane and fly it. These women were highly skilled and very talented. They didn't just fly the small planes, they also flew the large bombers as well, testing the weapons to make sure they all worked before handing over the planes to the "real" pilots. It was dangerous work and some died in the process of delivering their planes. Sadly after the war their contribution was ignored and most were unable to find jobs in the aviation industry because "women didn't fly" even th...

Part 5: Dealing with a lousy day 😟 We all have lousy days.  It doesn't matter whether you are at home with small children or at work dealing with a difficult manager — some days just don't go to plan . . . they turn out horrible.  By the end of the day we are grumpy, snappy, tired, worn-out and basically fed up.  So what do you do? Take things as slowly as you can because you brain is not likely to want to think very fast. Ignore anything too complicated (it will still be there tomorrow), cook something very simple for dinner that requires no brain power (or buy take-away), followed by long shower or bath and climb onto the couch, feet up and watch something  mindless  and try and recover. For those with children it is much harder, but get  hubby  to help is always a good idea. Just remember to not snap at them as it isn't their  fault that you had a lousy day.  Below are some tips for recovering from a l...

Part 4: Getting the  balance   right  For any woman who works (whether that be in a home based business or one outside the home), it is so important to recognise that you are doing two jobs — one away from home and one when you get home. This can be very difficult and stressful, especially if you have children, which is why some women move to part-time hours or stop working completely. However, not all women have this option and we need to be sympathetic  and understanding to these women and help in any way we can.   A study* undertaken in Australia (Australian National University) found that working more than 39 hours a week can impact on a person’s mental and physical health. The researchers found that anything longer than 39 hours at work meant workers had less time to eat well and look after themselves properly (i.e. go for walks, get some fresh air, time to shop for healthy options). They were, in fact, putting their health at risk. For women,...