Stress

This post has been rolling around in my head for about a week now, and I have just had a hard time putting it down on paper, or screen, as the case may be.

Things are really stressful right now- work is super-chaotic, between clients who have serious mental illness struggling, budget cuts making both my direct work with clients and my billing work more chaotic and stressful, and adjusting to a new schedule at home since Y has started preschool this week (yay!).

I feel like things have totally piled up, and the stress of working full time and feeling like I don't have enough time to get anything done well, or even done. Everywhere I go, I feel like there are people talking about kids of working moms and the disadvantages they face because the parents aren't around enough, or multiple stories about kids who refuse to go to the parent because they prefer the babysitter or nanny, and it just makes me want to cry!

I work really hard to make sure that I am present for my children in every way that I can and I am happy to do it- being a mom is the best part of my life! But the problem comes when everything else in my life is out of balance and I don't have anything that feels restorative for me- I decompress using TV or reading, or the computer (facebook IS a fantastic time-waster). I feel like I am at a point where I can't even identify what it would be that could better restore me, and I keep circling this place where I'm at and I can't do it for much longer!!

Any ideas of something restorative that takes no time or effort and is free or really cheap?

As a side note, Rosh Hashana is coming up this week, and I am also trying to reflect on the past year and what I want to try and work on in the new year. I hope you all have a Kesiva ve'Chasima Tova and a restorative holiday.