If you have no support, how do you recharge your batteries?

[AMAZINWOMAN]

Being a Mum is really hard work and exhausting. I just wondered how you manage to recharge your batteries, especially if you have no support?

At the moment, I have loads going on so am feeling exhausted. I'm finding it hard to concentrate to even write this!!

Although I am dealing with everything really well, I am shattered. So what kind of things can I do to make myself feel alive and full of energy again?

I exercise and eat well most of the time. (Last night I had chocolate though!) But it is the mental exhaustion I struggle with if that make sense.

I'd really appreciate a few suggestions and tips as I'm too tired to think of nice things

I have a Berocca (sp?) and a pro-vitamin C sachet every day. I go to bed at 9pm. I try to have half an hour's rest at work during the lunch hour.

That's about it - I've got a big age gap between my 2 DCs, so I'm a bit like a goalie dodging from side to side with their differing needs, so to speak!

Not very good advice, I know, sorry! But I'm too tired to give any

I wish I knew. Im knackered and often feel overwhelmed. I found myself in tears this morning talking to a friend on phone and I try not to talk about how I am feeling because life is so tough ATM. I am lucky, I have a good, if demanding job and am managing to keep everyone. I do try to go to bed early and not to drink during the week and I have cut down my commuting. I get one night a fortnight to myself when the boys are with dad and I just crash out!

Go to sleep early, don't stay in bed even if you wake up at 5 am. if you use those early hours to sort the house and have some time for yourself (yes... my "me" time was from 6-7 am), things just flow into place.

Berocca for when it is difficult to catch up with things.

The only thing I can suggest, if despite everything and being on top of the things, you feel exhausted anyway, consider the possibility of talking to your GP, you may be getting a mild depression.

Thanks for your replies.

Work has been hectic lately, making it really difficult to have lunch at regular time. I haven't even had a cuppa in work it has been so busy. It has been like this for months. I have made an appointment with my manager next week to talk about it.

I was in bed at 6pm last night. Although I didn't sleep, as I wanted to watch I'm a celebrity with the kids, I was just lying there in the dark with my eyes closed. I am tired today, but nowhere near as bad as yesterday.

I know my job is mentally exhausting as I work with refugees, so I am desperately looking for a new job. I'll keep my fingers crossed one will come up soon.

I will use my sad box again in case it may be depression again, and I think I'll take some supplements.

I kind of keep on top of the house luckily. It's awful when the house is in a mess too!

Well all I can say is you're not alone and I know it helps me sometimes to know that others are finding life exhausting and impossible too. I wake at 4.30am most days and like another mum here has said, this is my only 'me-time', as I'm too tired at night to have any kind of evening and go to bed straight after my twins are asleep around 9pm.

If you think about it, humans are supposed to be raised and live in small tribes, where everything is shared, from the childcare to the domestic tasks and 'hunting'/ earning the money. So it's no wonder we single mums feel like it's impossible a lot of the time - it is! On the other hand, I suppose we do just cope and get on with it.

I've just told my children that I'm determinded to do one thing for myself this w/e - not sure what yet - but I've done nothing at all for me for months now. My whole life revolves around them and their needs, my self-employed business (which I run single-handedly, even down to doing the accounts) and basic urgent domestic tasks.

This leaves no time at all for me. I guess you have to get more of a ruthless mindset - like a real, assertive focus to TAKE some time for yourself - otherwise it just never happnes and there's always something else that takes priority.

Right this minute, I'm checking Mumsnet when I really ought to clean out the cat litter tray, get the twins to get ready fro bed as they're really tired but won't do it on their own - and begin their bedtime story etc etc.

But instead, I've snatched a few moments.

What I'd really love to have is a long hot bath and shave my legs - as I've survived on showers for the last 4 months, never getting time for a btah and you shoudl just see the state of my legs now!! On the other hand, there's no guy around to 'impress', so I suppose it isn't really my top priority!

Maybe you could just get more ruthless in being self-protective and demanding time for you? I need to tell myself this too! Good luck

Yes, get the sad box out, I used to put it to the side of the TV or leave it at work so I could use it while I was at the computer.

I have decided to have one night a week when I actually do something that's just about me. For me, it's joining a diving club. The babysitter costs a lot, but it's my one night out, and once I'm there doesn't cost me anything. And what price sanity?

I don't manage to go every single week. But going, and knowing it's there in the future on the weeks I don't go, makes a HUGE difference to me. Basically because when I'm there, I'm a diver, not a mum. Just for two-and-a-half hours a week, I'm not a mum.

It's bloody brilliant.

I am definitely going to try out some of the tips on here. I have only recently split up with DD's dad and she lives with me full-time, and in between that, commuting to work in London and running the house I am constantly tired and frequently feel exhausted. Work is really stressful due to redundancies which have led to the same amount of work being done by a much smaller group of us, and although they're flexible enough to let me come in late/go home early I've been working most nights over the last month once DD's in bed so I've had no real time to myself.

I am going to make more of an effort to limit the nights I work, dust off my Wii Fit and do some yoga, and catch up with all the friends I've not spoken with for a while.

Thanks for making me realise I'm not the only single tired mum out there and that it can be done!