Show me a dedicated single parent who does not have a tendency to burn the candle at both ends and I confess I will be a little surprised. Perhaps I am making a generalization here; surely there are plenty of single parent who are not maxed out in terms of obligation and responsibility but for those of us who have a tendency to try to be everywhere and do everything—we run the risk of spreading ourselves too thinly.
The thing about getting yourself spread out too thinly is that it can either happen gradually (in which case you may not notice until it is too late) or it can happen suddenly and you do not really have time to stop things and get reorganized. Suddenly you are either stretched to the max or completely overwhelmed. It certainly does not help to have people telling us to “take it easy” or “let some things go” when as a single parent, we often feel like if we don’t do it, who really will?
I have learned to notice when I am starting to get spread too thin based on my triggers. When I start to feel resentful and like I need to push back hard and say “no” loudly—I know that I have taken on too much. Of course, I have also realized that the only person who can control whether I get spread too thin is me. I am the one who chooses whether to say “yes” and take on more or say “no” and try to maintain (or get back to) a more sane schedule.
We cannot be everywhere and we cannot be everything. As solo parents, we really have to conserve our energy and learn to prioritize what is important. This may mean letting some things go or at least temporarily restructuring our lives. When you start to feel drained, exhausted, resentful and crabby instead of grateful and invigorated by your life—it may be because you are spreading yourself too thin.
See Also: Pace Yourself
How Much Can You Squeeze in a Lunch Hour?