Your best is good enough
Stress can escalate quickly for women in the sandwich generation years, caring for kids and ageing parents simultaneously. How can we navigate these busy years without succumbing to the extra stresses they can bring?
‘No one is expecting you to be Wonder Woman,’ says Sims. And yet we often expect that of ourselves. She recommends learning to recognise when things have got too much. If your plate feels full, acknowledge it. ‘Make a list of things you need to do and see what support you can get to do them differently. Tell the family which bits are causing you more stress and ask for help. If you don’t manage to clean everything or complete all your tasks in one week, spread them out over a number of weeks. And, remember, if people come to visit your home, they come to see you, not which jobs you have or haven’t done.’