The "Work" In My Avoiding Working Mom Burnout

Since starting my blog, I've discussed all kinds of topics relating to being a mom, being a woman and juggling a million priorities... but I've never actually talked about work.  That's half of the two words I use to describe myself "working mom".  Also, I thought as readers, you might actually like to know a little bit more about the products I market... if you're like me, then you're the target audience for it!  I promise this will not be an infomercial blog... hang with me for a bit!  As a crazy busy working mom, I'm always looking for shortcuts - not only to fit more into my day, but to also lead a healthier and happier life.  So I thought I would tell you a little bit about what I do... which in turn will lead me to share with you some great shortcut ideas for sneaking a little bit of exercise into your day.

For those of you who don't know me, I'm the Director of Marketing for a company called Mayfair Tech Inc.  Our initial product launch was ShaToBu - The Workout You Wear.  The name stands for "shape", "tone" and "burn".  I'm sure you might be wondering what the heck it is... first let me ask, do you know what shapewear is?  I assume the whole world knows about Spanx, but just in case, it's the modern day girdle you wear under your clothes to suck you in and smooth you out.  Many of us have tried this under a special occasion dress (or under anything post-baby LOL).  Our ShaToBu shapewear, however, doesn't just suck and smooth, it was scientifically proven to also tone your muscles and help you burn extra calories as you move about during the day.  I won't bore you with all of the science that's been done, but I can assure you it does work, and it is real.  If you're really interested, you can check out the proven technology page on our website. 

When I first interviewed for the job, it wasn't the shapewear part of things that caught my interest, but rather the workout component.  I wasn't a shapewear wearer, but I was and have always been into exercise.  When I first went back to work after both my maternity leaves, I was in fighting form.  All of the baby weight was gone and I was toned and fit.  And then real life happens.  The long walks with baby in the stroller and time to exercise disappear and the weight starts to creep back on (and body gets a bit "soft" - ugh).  If you're a working mom, I don't have to tell you how hard it is to fit exercise into your regular routine.  Even if you do manage, things come up... kids keep you up at night, travel, stress... etc. Basically, extra sleep can often win out over the early morning workout.

What I thought was so cool about ShaToBu was that it made you look better instantly (sucked in the dreaded muffin top and eliminated VPLs... visible panty lines) AND it also gave you an edge long term to help you get/stay in shape.  It's NOT a miracle product and doesn't replace going to the gym, but it does that little bit of extra that may just get/keep you on the right track.  Perhaps you may wonder how it can do this... well, there are built-in resistance bands in the back of the garment (just like the resistance bands we use in the gym) - wearing it makes your muscles work just a little bit harder than doing the same movement without, which in turn helps you burn the extra calories.  It was developed by a female chiropractor who was concerned for the health of her female patients.  I liked that part too.  We now have shapers, tights, leggings and coming soon, everyday wear.

Without turning this into a sales pitch for ShaToBu, let me get to the part that I found cool - squeezing in the light workout in my regular daily routine.  There is a lot of research out there that shows that doing small spurts of exercise are just as good, and maybe even better, than doing a longer workout.  Doing less is also easier on our muscles and joints (another problem if we are older working moms LOL).  Check out this study done in Scotland and another study done in UK.  Good news for us!  At the end of the day though, doing anything is always better than nothing.  Every little bit helps! 

So in addition to wearing ShaToBu, here are some of the other things I have done to sneak a little bit of exercise in my day, especially on those when I miss my workout!

• take a 10-20 minute walk at lunch
• get up from my desk and stretch for 10 minutes in the afternoon (or however many minutes I can manage)
• do some exercise while sitting or standing at my desk when on the phone (see images below - I created these for ShaToBu) - you can also do these while watching TV
• take the stairs when I can
• in nicer weather, play ball or do something active with the kids before/after dinner (walking the dog together is good too... especially for the dog)
• put on some music and dance with the kids - they LOVE it
• take one of the farthest parking spots in the lot

At this stage of my life, I find all of the little things add up... whether they are the pluses or minuses.  Those extra bites off my kids' plates add up to pounds on my butt, so it goes without saying that whatever little extra I can do to stay active will hopefully have the opposite effect.  It certainly can't hurt.  If I include my kids in the activity, I get the bonus of spending time with them too.  And just as important as spending the time together, teaching them about an active lifestyle instead of one sitting in front of the TV, computer or video game, will hopefully create healthy habits to last them a lifetime. 

P.S. Does the silhouette look familiar?  It's me LOL!

My Co-Workers Feel Slighted - So This Is For Them

I wouldn't have started this blog if it weren't for Sari & Ana.  They were the ones who jokingly said "Blog About It" when I received my first shipment of TrueStar vitamins (and I was so excited and hopeful that it would mean the end to the weary, draggin' my ass phase I was in).  I thought, why not?  I love to write and I always have a lot to say, so this blog was born.  And by the way, I have been feeling more energetic since taking the vitamins.  I think they're working!  Anyway, back to Sari & Ana...  They feel they didn't receive their much deserved acknowledgement for their role in my new life as a blogger.  So this is for them.

I am very lucky that Sari & Ana are not only the people I spend all day with, 5 days a week, but they are also my friends.  I have worked in many places and having people you truly like, respect and can laugh with really make or break the job.  We spend so much time in the workplace (more than in our personal life) and you can have the best job in the world, but if you don't work have great co-workers, it can end up being the worst job in the world.

Since we don't really get much say in who we work with, it's really a crap shoot on who we get.  Unless of course, you're the boss and have some say in who you are hiring.  In my case, I inherited Sari when I started and was just a little apprehensive knowing she was the owner's daughter.  Lucky for me, she turned out to be one of the hardest-working, most level-headed, intelligent and mature young ladies that I have ever had the pleasure of working with (and really, I'm not just saying that because she's the owner's daughter). 

Ana, on the other hand, used to work for a friend of mine and when their company went bankrupt, timing was precipitous and I was able to hire her as our designer at my previous job.  When I quit and took this job, my one and only regret was having to leave Ana.  I told her that if there was any way I could take her with me, I would make it happen.  Not because I liked her so much as my friend (which I do), but because she's an AMAZING designer.  So within 2 months, I was able to make that happen and now here she is.  So this is my little Mayfair Tech nuclear family - we have other members on our team, but it's really the 3 of us sitting in our ShaToBu room all day, every day. 

I have worked with all kinds in my 25+ years in the workforce.  I got my first job in retail when I was 16.  I have worked with women have been catty and vindictive.  I have experienced both sexual harassment and verbal harassment.  I have had people be discriminatory based on my religion.  I have had some good bosses and some really bad bosses.  Some have taught me and mentored me, and others have left me to fend for myself.  I think that is why I can be so appreciative of my position here at Mayfair today.  I really like my job, I have great bosses and I have Sari & Ana.  It makes my professional life a pleasure.  That doesn't mean that things are always perfect or that there aren't any pressures - that's not real life.  But I'm in a happy place. 

Being surrounded by good people and in a job you like doesn't only make for a happy career, it also carries over to your personal life.  There were times I was absolutely miserable in my last position and I would come home in a bad mood and would have a hard time shaking it off.  Not a good thing when you have children (and not so great on a marriage either).

It may not always be easy to find the right job, but when it all comes together, it definitely makes for a much more peaceful existence.  And when times are stressful or the shit hits the fan, having those great co-workers to make us feel better and to laugh with makes it so much more bearable.

So thanks, Sari & Ana - you're the best.

Here's a little fun from me and the girls... enjoy!

I'm a burnt out working mom...can you relate?

Today I received my first shipment of TrueStar vitamins... this is the catalyst for the creation of this, my first ever blog!

Let me back up for a moment.  I am 42 years old, married to my husband Anthony for 6.5 years, have a son Myles who just turned 6 and a daughter Charlotte who will be 4 next month.  I am also the Director of Marketing for a company called Mayfair Tech Inc.  (we do muscle toning, calorie burning shapewear, tights and apparel - if you're interested, check out ShaToBu - "shape", "tone" "burn"). 

I wake up at 5am every day Monday through Friday to workout.  I drop off my daughter at day care at 7:15am and get to the office at 7:40am.  I leave at 4 and rush home to pick up my daughter (thankfully my son's school is 1/2 block from our house), feed them dinner, give them baths, have some cuddle time, put them to bed at 7:30 and then collapse in front of the TV.  I have chronic back pain that I am finally trying to treat with a chiropractor after suffering for many years.  Are you tired yet just listening to me?  I'm pretty certain that there are many other women out there like me.  Time keeps flying by and I am always tired!

So at my last visit to the chiropractor (who scolded me for shovelling snow this past weekend and further messing up my back) I complained over how burnt out I am and not really seeing an end in sight.  He asked me if I take vitamins and when I said yes, he asked what kind.  I was taking Centrum (the version that's supposed to give you more energy) and Calcium (history of osteoporosis in my family).  He told me there is a book that is published every year that rates the vitamins on the market and that Centrum is pretty much crap.  I asked him which ones actually ranked at the top every year and he suggested TrueStar. 

The TrueStar website is really cool.  When I first went on it had me take a very thorough questionnaire to find out exactly my issues and concerns.  Of course, the list that popped up of suggested vitamins was a little overwhelming, but I decided on the True Basics Plus for women (the optimal wellness pack) and True Energy (supposed to help with stress and fatigue).  I'm told that it may take a few weeks to actually feel different, but I'm game!  Did I mention... these are NOT cheap.  But if it can significantly change the quality of my life, I'm game to try.  I bought enough for 3 months.  I figured that this would give me a really good trial period (and they had a special - buy 2 of the same, get the 3rd free).

So why the blog?  Well, I thought if I'm feeling this way, that there are probably many more working moms out there who are also trying to deal with the stresses of work and a demanding career, raising small children, maintaining a happy, healthy marriage, managing their homes, trying to exercise and eat healthy, and even trying to find a little "me" time. 

My goals is to find other women like me so we can help each other with tips and suggestions, sound off to one another and just feel like I'm not alone in this... so welcome to the Working Mom Burnout Blog!

P.S. I'll keep you posted on how the vitamins work!