anyone else feeling stressed from everyday life with juggling kids and work?

[INeedANew]

I think my life is stressing me out. Nothing horrific is going on but just the everyday demands of juggling 3 kids and work is making me stressed.

It started after youngest was born nearly 2 years ago. After she was born I began grinding my teeth at night. Never done it before. I thought it would go away as she got older. It hasn't. I wake up really tense in my neck and shoulders and back as I'm so tense in my sleep. I'm not getting a restful sleep which is making me feel tired / forgetful and just run down. I catch every cold anyone has.

My skin looks dull, I've got dark bags under my eyes and I'm developing getting wrinkles.

I can't focus well and keep forgetting things.

During the day I'm really tense too and just feel on edge all the time.

The moment I wake up till the moment I go to bed, I am thinking about what I need to do and how I can't do it as I don't have the time or energy.

The youngest is hard work and is a velcro toddler. I can't get a moment's peace away from her. I do everything in a state of stress with her whinging in the background or trying to hold / entertain her at the same time.

Its all affecting me mentally too and im feeling low and not enjoying life when I should be.

Is anyone else like this? What can I do to help myself?

Bumping for you as I am in the same boat. Though I only have 1 child!

Yes, same. It seems relentless. I'm hoping that if it ever stops raining I'll feel better. I'm so bored I've realised as well. My daughter is older but SN and I am a single parent so it's up to me to do everything

Yes I totally hear you. One of mine has a chronic illness that I really can’t keep on top of m, as much as I try, and she’s had enough so it’s harder to do. She ends up angry and stressed and then I do too. Makes every day miserable. When you add in work and doing all the house stuff, cooking, cleaning, washing, shopping etc it’s all too much. 😢

I’m a single mum with one child. I work full time, do everything in the house, help with homework. I cope well most of the time. But just sometimes, normally when I’m tired or I have a cold, I feel exactly like that.

How does your partner help? I think you need to define a time at the weekends that is “yours” to recover and boost yourself. I’ve felt better since ds became old enough (10) for me to leave him for an hour on Saturdays and do Parkrun by myself. Literally breathing space.
It will get better, honest.

Gosh. I feel like a snowflake now! Im not a single parent or dealing with kids with health issues.

It is relentless. I was just saying to dh today that I just feel like I'm existing and not living my life.

H0llie I think because we're just like robots - day in, day out, the monotony of it all, life ends up feeling boring and you're not really living it anymore and enjoying it.

My DH does help but tbh I do the lions share of the work ie all the cooking and cleaning is down to me. The kids stuff he helps out with more.