Went to the dentist today and came out sad-. Not only did I have to have a filling replaced but I had alot of work that needed to be done on my mouth! His first words were are your eating habits different. No, I replied because really they aren't.

So whats going on he wanted to know? The only thing we could come up with is stress in my life. I was very surprised that stress can also effect your mouth, not just your body. This is not a wake up call as I know I should be making time for myself but its more than that. Its making my life more peaceful on a daily basis, not just time for myself.

I've been trying to figure out what to do to make it more peaceful. When you work 11.5 hours a day its pretty hard! Then you go right into family and all the activities there. So, I'm not sure what to do but I'm sure it will come to me. What do some of you do here to make life more peaceful? I really don't watch tv, computor is visiting time with you, not on the phone alot. Mainly I do family and alot of childcare whether it be actual childcare or running on the weekends for it. Really though that the only time I have for it.

So on top of my initial appt., I went back two more times today for some work, some on Thursday, and then at least one more time. I was grateful they could get me in for some more work today because as we all know, we have all the time in the world to go do errands and appt..

Also, I leaned while I was there, most toothpaste now has gluten in it! If anyone suffers from gluten intolerance, look up the ingrediants and some of it will actually be gluten. Who would have thought that from toothpaste.

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I had the same kind of experience a few years ago, at the dentist. Anyone looking at me would not guess I was under stress, even I was not aware of the extent of it. I was surprised to find it leaves physical evidence in your mouth.

Find what rings you calm, and allows you to unwind. Reading a book, a warm bath, a nice chat with a good friend, massage, a walk, conecting with nature, uplifting scents...whatever helps to restore you.

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Shorten your hours - that's a start. Then start getting more sleep.

11.5 hours a day PLUS prep time, PLUS shopping for work on the weekends is just plain too much.

This is why people drop their children off to you so that they can work 8 hours a day and be done with it.

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I try to go for a bike ride/walk/run or yoga after all of the kids are gone. Sometimes the only way to cleanse my body of all of the toxic stress is to literally run it out of my body.

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I refigured my hours and actually only work 10.5 hours-it feels longer though-. So instantly shaved 1 hour of my time, but its still a long day though. The majority of my parents leave the last 1.5 hours I'm open.

I was walking after work for a time but it became to hard trying to get dinenr going/done and then all the evening work that need to also be done. I actually push to get so much done in the evening because I do like to be in bed by 9:00 and asleep by 10. The minute I get up its go, go, go to get things done in the morning before my childcare starts. I think thats starting to be the problem, I run from the time I get up till my eyes close. Not all days but the majority.

It will be a work in progress. Rome wasn't built in a day and I won't magically have less things to do for quite awhile.

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11.5 hours is way too much. Might be time to revamp your personal finances and daycare policies in order to get back on hours. You are working too much, plan and simple.

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