What do you do when you are just too tired

amother

Thu, Mar 16 2006, 9:20 pm

I work part time, I have a baby who keeps me up a lot at night, I have a house to take care of, a husband to take care of and other things. I am so tired, I need ways to keep me going. Anyone??
Caffeine is out, I nurse and its unhealthy. Of course spending less time on this site helps too, but seriously, I need some real suggestions.

shoshb

Thu, Mar 16 2006, 9:49 pm

Try exercise (like running around after kids and holding down a job, and maintaining a house is not exercise, right?). But seriously, I find 20-30 minutes on the treadmill, or better yet, out in the fresh air, works like a cup of coffee.

Edited to add: try to avoid eating refined sugars. Stick with complex carbohydrates, and lean protein, to avoid blood sugar dips.

Now.....if only I would follow my own advice!! Confused

BrachaVHatzlocha

Thu, Mar 16 2006, 10:07 pm

let's go jogging together with our carriages....I live in Flatbush...you in my area? I feel the same way!
what do I do when I'm tired? rock on the glider with the baby...I know, it doesn't help clean the floors... Smile

sorry I"m not much of a help!! PM me if you really want to go walking together!

tziviakayla

Thu, Mar 16 2006, 10:34 pm

I don't work outside the home, but I can relate to being just too tired to do anything else. A friend of mine told me years ago that she gives her house a quick facelift at night by picking everything up off the floor. First, the things that need to be thrown out, then the laundry to be washed, then the toys, then everything else. She doesn't worry about the dishes in the sink, the papers on the counters, or the books on the tables. I tried it and it really makes the house look so much neater. There are many times it's so quick, that I get a burst of energy to finish up. If I don't, I never feel guilty. (Sometimes, my husband will do the rest when he comes home at night!) When you are tired it takes much longer to do a chore, than if you are well-rested! Sometimes I take a shower in the late afternoon before my kids get home...I feel so refreshed and relaxed that I'm able to handle homework, dinnertime, and bedtime much better! I also take a lot of walks...it gives me so much energy! (Much better than a soda or coffee, which I never drink!)

nicole81

Thu, Mar 16 2006, 10:59 pm

I agree, exercise is a great way to energize you plus when you do get to sleep, you'll sleep a lot better.

every time your baby wakes up, is it to nurse? if not, can your husband help so you can get more rest? also, does the baby take a bottle so your dh can give him/her pumped milk and maybe let you sleep every other night?

klotzkashe

Fri, Mar 17 2006, 1:33 am

Try also going for a bloodtest and seeing if you are iron deficient. taking iron supplements or even a multivitamin might just make you feel so much better.
I was taking a low dose iron supplement and when my doc told me I needed 6 times the amount I wa taking I switched that very day - and felt SO much better. I went form having a 3 hr nap e/day (and feeling exhausted when I woke up) to not needing a nap at alla nd getting up at 7am no probs!

PinkandYellow

Fri, Mar 17 2006, 4:24 am

I don't exercise or eat right and I drink soda all the time (even tho I'm nursing, just not diet) so I might actually take some of the above advice seriously.
I am working full time 6 days a week and to me one of the biggest time savers is using disposable pans whenever possible. Anything made in the oven I ues tin pans (only once and then toss). I even started making some things like gefilte fish in the oven just to save myself a pot to clean. I know a lot of ppl would be appalled by this "waste" of money, but to me the saving of sanity is more important. If you want to be cheaper you can line pans with baking sheets and then reuse the pans.
Also, what I would do if I can find someone normal and good, is get a cleaning lady. Even an hour every week or two can make a major diff (especially with only one kid, mess is minimal) and cut down the cleaning to mopping only once every two weeks and sweep once a week.

amother

Fri, Mar 17 2006, 9:32 am

I have one baby and a cleaning lady for two and a half hours a week, yes it makes a HUGE difference! mopping every other week would make your floor very very black, same as sweeping once a week shock

what can help is if u get a swifter and then u can just put that around the floors to get off all the dust, its fast and easy.... man, I dont know how u working full time mothers do it! how do your kids feel about this?

happy2beme

Fri, Mar 17 2006, 9:53 am

I was thinking of getting the swifter- does it really work well>? I have the mopping one (cant think of name now) & it's ok- doesn't clean as well as a reg mop but it does the job for my peace of mind Smile

chen

Fri, Mar 17 2006, 10:44 am

SaraG wrote:

Streamline stuff. .

Exactly. Prioritize and do only those things that are really essential, meaning that not doing them would jeopardize health, safety or finances. Save the "embroidery" for when you are more energetic.

PinkandYellow

Sun, Mar 19 2006, 1:00 am

What is a swifter?

Quote:

I have... a cleaning lady for two and a half hours a week

Are you in yerushalayim? I desperately need someone. (sorry if this is off topic)

square_peg

Mon, Mar 27 2006, 6:58 pm

amother wrote:

Check out www.flylady.net

Yehudis2

Mon, Mar 27 2006, 10:14 pm

Sorry to diverge from the good tips being given but sometimes there is not much one can do at all excpet for eating proper healthy meals so that you're not nutritionally and sleep deficient.

I had this situation last year working full time for 5 months with a baby and a toddler at home, and no household help at all. My husband was not available to help at all. It wasn't easy and sometimes I felt like I was at the end of my tether.
What really helped was getting my attitude straight. If I knew that despite my sheer exhaustion this was what the RBSh"O wanted from me now then life was precious nevertheless. It wasn't only what I could or couldn't do (eventually the basics get done anyway like they always do) but HOW I went about doing it.
I hope this helps you.

queen

Tue, Mar 28 2006, 10:05 am

1. Plan meals that are E.A.S.Y. to make. (for me that means stocking up my freezer as I usually double/triple/quadruple any recipe) This way most nights I just pull a home made supper out of the freezer.

2. Get yourself cleaning help if possible. (I have a woman come in every other Friday which for us works fine as we're just two adults with a young baby. I keep the house tidy/neat yet when the lady comes, she gives the overall house a total wash/clean/mop/vacuum etc. very well.) In between her visits I usually don't (bec. there is no need to) mop/wash/clean or vacuum).

3. Make a list of what HAS to get done each day and try not getting side tracked.

4. Spend less time on here (for me this works great! Smile

)