And things are going... well...

OMG, that's, like, so relatable...
Sigh...

Don't look now, but I've had a really good week at work.

Monday was wading through emails and getting little done.  Tuesday was mostly panic and hyperventilation (that's a coping strategy, right?).  Wednesday I had a massive headache and today was finally productive.  I hit my stride at 3pm this afternoon and contacted 25 prospective students in about 2 hours about the courses they might want to do.

And I think I've sussed the trick.  More details after the break.



It's been really hard to keep going at times, but what I haven't done is fallen into my old habits.  My trick appears to be sleep.  Because of stress levels, panic and headaches, I've been going to bed at about 7:30 most nights this week.  And it's been brilliant.

It doesn't allow for much in the way of relaxation in the evenings or communication with my wife, but it's really helping me keep my head in check.  I have the resources to fend off most of the addictive behaviours and focus on what I need to do.  I've managed to build momentum from day to day and I've ended up in a really good position.

Also, with the advent of wrap-around childcare for my son, I'm rediscovering little pockets of time that allow me to keep on top of everything else.  For example, there's now about 20 minutes in the mornings before we leave the house.  I can wash up the stuff from the night before, or unload a dishwasher or put some laundry on.  Depending on what time I leave work, there's another 20 minutes at the end of the day, before I pick my son up from the childminder.  If Furiosa also leaves work at a sensible time, she can join me for a cup of tea and some sensible conversation before we have to wrangle a tired, droopy boy through dinner, bath and bed.

It's wonderful to be able to come in from work and have 20 minutes of peace and quiet to do my own thing without having to regulate a child.  I haven't had that for 5 years.  Turns out it's really nice.  I don't usually need to actually do anything, but the option to not do anything is rare, and pretty great.

Obligatory and suitably wanky inspirational bullshit
Interestingly gendered, though.  Do men get 'me-time'?
What does it look like?  What does it mean for his family?

So we've been getting to about 7:15, with a knackered, unsettled child who needs constant reassurance that he's not alone, and it's just been easier to take him to bed with me until he falls asleep.  Then it's a simple case of transferring him to his own bed once he's zonked out.  Job done.

And I've been getting all the sleep I need, and it's allowed me to perform when I need to perform at work, which means I have fewer things to blog about, but that's a good thing, I think.

Ummmm...  Okay then...

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