Stress Awareness & Changes

April is Stress Awareness Month and has come at a time when I am continuing to make changes to better manage my own stress and mental wellbeing. Having written a few times over the last year about the stresses, worries and burnout; this year I have tried to implement changes that would better support my mental wellbeing and manage any depressive spirals.

While it's still challenging, and not my natural setting, I am keeping up my 'not rushing' when completing tasks and morning routines. I am definitely saying "quickly" less, so that's positive.

My next change is partly focused on my own stress and wellbeing, but more so is about Henry's. Henry is a wonderful happy little boy that eats and sleeps well (we are very lucky). However, we have noticed he sometimes struggles towards the end of the week. Which we believe is in part down to having five days at nursery, and away from us.

We both work full time and while we don't like the idea of Henry being in nursery five days a week it's been required.

I should add, we really like Henry's nursery, they are great. He is doing very well there, has made friends and continues to grow and develop in a happy positive way.

Over the last four weeks, I have been using the remainder of my annual leave to have Fridays off with Henry and he seems to have had much better ends to the week. Plus and maybe because of having that extra day with a parent.

Having had this experience I'm looking into the possibility of making a change. While I don't have enough annual leave to make that commitment forever, by working four longer days each week I could potentially have that extra day with Henry each week. This does mean I'll be unable to pick Henry up from nursery and miss out on part of the evening with him. And that is hard, not to mention the tiredness of working almost two hours extra each day, but that feels so worth it for all of us.

I'm going to trial this during April, before we give up Henry's nursery place. Then make a decision. This decision feels pressured in terms of commiting to a new way of working, that I'll need to keep to for three years. But also, this is the only time we will have with him before school, and I/ we want to hold on to every minute we can with him.

I've spoken to two other dads randomly in shops that have already swapped to four longer day working weeks, and their experince was whole positive, though they did also mention the first few weeks can be very tricky and tiring. That is where I do also feel now is the right time to test and potentially start this while the days and especially the evenings are light. I think shifting to this working pattern in the autumn or winter would be really hard mentally at that time. I'm hoping if this is a change we go for, by the time autumn comes around I'll be well settled into the routine by then.

I am very fortunate that my work role is a flexible one and one that can potentially (will find out after my April trial period) accommodate this change. I continue to be pleased that my workplace is one embracing change and accommodations (where possible and suitable) at a time when many are reflecting back on 2020, wow has the workplace and environment changed since then. But that's maybe for another time.

I think for Henry, Laura and myself this could be a wonderful change that enhances our wellbeing. Like many things though, the adjustment period could be tricky. And so I am again reminded of April being Stress Awareness Month and managing those stresses, the busy mind moments and (trying to ensure I am) prioritising self care. Thats where the running comes in.

For me running remains my opportunity to be physically active, to move, to push myself, to mentally run through some of those tricky thoughts and repetitive thinking patterens. While the treadmill is not the most beautiful place to be, there are some consistances that just work for me. Running the longer distances, I'm currently running 13 to 18 miles each week, also adds a bit of both; the thought 'its a shame I haven't gone anywhere, I've missed out of the sightseeing', but there's also the chuckles I have to myself about running that distance and not going anywhere.

My next running challenge is coming up at the end of the month, so I look forward to sharing more about that then. Until then I'll keep working towards my annual stretch goals of 500 miles, 623 miles and 750 miles.

April is a great time to reflect on what supports your wellbeing, what helps make you happy and positive. It's Stress Awarness Month (April), World Health Day on 7th April and Mental Health Awareness Week in May (12th to 18th). There's a few prompts to pause and reflect. If you are not sure where to start I'll add a few links below.

Thank you for taking some time to pause and read.

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