Maybe You Don’t Have To Work Harder Right Now

You might not have to do things differently for things to change.

Maybe someone needs to hear this today.

The other day I was talking to a friend of mine who is the parent to two young girls. They’re two and a quarter, and brand-new; she’s got a 5 month old at home. Fresh new babies! Demanding attention! Always!

Her spouse is the majority income creator and has been pulled heavily into his job right now, and doesn’t have a ton of flexibility. She was on maternity leave when this started, so her freelance clients are on pause, or slowly coming back online. Now they don’t have a nanny and she’s doing full-time child care coverage while also still with a tiny baby at home.

We talked about her dreams—of working, of writing, of freelance projects, of side projects—and she was honest: she’s completely exhausted.

“Every time I start to add a work task to my plate, I end up completely exhausted and angry at all the parenting work I have to do,” she said. “But when work’s not on the table, I actually don’t hate parenting as much. If all I had to do was parent, it would be hard, but I’m not sure I’d be so angry about all of it.”

“If all I had to do was parent, it would be hard, but I’m not sure I’d be so angry about all of it.”

We talked about how much of her life is so temporary right now. What came up for me was this: she doesn’t have to work harder or make anything happen for things to change.

“For you,” I said, “Your life will change over the next 12 months, somewhat dramatically. Your little one will sleep through the night. You yourself will get more sleep. She will drain less and less milk (and energy) from you as she gets older. Your older one will turn three, and begin to have more autonomy. They might even begin to play together at two and four.”

“The important thing, the thing I want you to hear, is that you don’t have to DO ANYTHING but let time pass.”

Pushing harder and doing more might not change anything faster.

For many of you, there isn’t anything we can control, push, or organize to change the world around us. It’s maddening, but it also has an upside: we can release the pent-up energy of wanting things to change and trust that things will change, eventually, at some point.

Sometimes, releasing the pressure of having to do something can release us to find tiny moments of joy—or at least contentment—inside of the space we’re in.

I know this isn’t true for everyone, and I know that this might be maddening to hear for people across different situations.

But if you’re pregnant right now, or you’re with a tiny baby at home, and you’re panicked about the long term, I hope this message gives you a tiny note of peace. You don’t have to push harder or do more. One day, your house might be clean again. One day, you might wear pants again. One day, you will work again.

But right now? Maybe, just maybe, you don’t have to do as much as you think you should.

xo.