Beverly W

As a single parent time to myself seems a rare yet much needed event lately.

I hate to be a creature of habit yet routine is the only real way to secure any 'me time' in my week.

There's always some type of life admin to take care of i.e. bill payments to sort out grocery shopping to organise school emails to respond to or appointments to attend. That's taking into account appointments for myself and my family. For instance this week I forgot a medical appointment I had which I feel rubbish about. There's dry cleaning to collect and I needed to sort out a cheaper mobile phone deal due to the existing contract ending. Also, call me old fashioned, but I still want to buy a card for my nephews birthday tomorrow and will need to deliver it there in person.

All this on top of a home and car to run 1 dependant and 2 non dependant sons to care for and a grandchild I sometimes need to help care for.

At night, even when I eventually get to bed, before I fall asleep my mind is ticking over with the incessant voice in my head wondering whether the kitchen tap is definitely turned off and whether the back door is actually locked properly.

Being a single parent with next to no practical help from extended family or friends is an enormous task. You'd think after 24 plus years of life like this it would have gotten easier.

However after developing an unusual medical condition several years ago immobility and poor health has slowed me right down to a go slow pace.

All of this makes setting 'me time' aside into my daily / weekly schedule even more important to do. It makes me more determined to succeed at finding activities I find rewarding, entertaining and which allow me to make positive connections.

Having a disability obviously means I need to consider physical limitations in addition to cost and time constrains due to parenting responsibilities.

Although along side participating in the Changing Realities project I also enjoy taking part in weekly online chair yoga classes and more recently I've been looking forward to returning to local meditation classes which sadly stopped during the pandemic and I really missed them as a way to stay sane.

I think that covers what I do to get time to myself other than when I'm asleep or when I'm scrolling aimlessly around the internet looking at junk.