I feel like women's liberation sometimes feels more like slavery than freedom. I feel trapped in an overwhelming world where there are far more demands than one person could possibly handle and they never stop coming. I've described it like trying to move a hill of sand with a baby spoon while a bulldozer is constantly piling more on top. I have days I am so busy I work through lunch then skip dinner too. There are days I barely get a few hours of sleep. I haven't gone to my own doctor's appt in years. With all the kid's appts I just can't find time. I have reached a point where I just can't do this any more. How do you turn around what feels like a runaway train? I tell my family how overwhelmed I am and they sympathize for maybe a minute then just ask for more. No one is hearing me. No one understands. How do I get them to see how bad this is? How do I make a positive change? I am miserable. This isn't life. It is just all work.

Hi Sheri,

What kind of job do you have outside of the home?  What are the ages of your children?  What fills your day?

Phyllis

Hi Sheri!
Part of the women's movement was to exersise our right to choose. Remember that there was a time when women were bound to the home no matter what. The irony is that most of us choose to "have it all", which ends up meaning "do it all" and usually leads to misery. I say we knock it off! Cut something out of your schedule! Okay, I know it is not easy but for goodness sake, the stress we are putting on ourselves is going to lead us to early graves. Heart disease, breast cancer obesity..why do we think everyone is sick? Doing too much, living poorly, not taking care of ourselves. Period. Who is going to take care of our families when we are dead from a heart attack?

Right now, take a piece of paper. Write down all the aspects of your life...career commitments, home, family, social. kids activities. Then rate them 1-10, 10 being critical to survival, 1 being you can survive without it. Anything under a 5? Get rid of it! Just get rid of it! If your kids aren't going to starve and you still have a roof over your head, well...

There are zillions of options. Find them.

Resources that have saved me:
Jillian Michaels podcast
Books:
-Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway
-Jillian Michaels' Unlimited (can you tell I am a Jillian fan?)

There are SO many self-help books for people in your shoes.

You need to eat healthfully and exercise. I know you are going to say you have no time for that but (see above)...

There are a home based businesses, too. I just signed on to one that I can fit into my current career quite nicely. I am not going to tell you about it because I don't want you to think I am trying to sell  you something. I am just saying, there are income options for busy moms.

You have the key to your own cage.