Review: Stretched Too Thin: How Working Moms Can Lose the Guilt, Work Smarter and Thrive by Jessica N. Turner

Somedays, I drop my daughter off at school and I find myself at Target, quietly and calmly browsing the aisles looking at books and films, journals. Maybe even doing some grocery shopping. It’s a nice time. And yes, part of it is because I’m at Target and can conveniently get all things at once. But the other part of is that my daughter is safe, at school and I have a half an hour to myself.

She is a really really well behaved child and I take her most places with me. She’s even been to some upscale sushi places and has been a star. But you know, we all need a little time. And while I was in Target on one particular day, I stumbled upon this book.

I wasn’t sure what to expect because let’s be honest – in the grand shelves of Self Help books, there’s enough written about working moms, mommy guilt, etc. But I picked this one up and put it in my cart and I’m really glad I did.

Turner does a wonderful job of being compassionate and sympathetic in her writings. She’s not really saying anything new, but the way it was delivered was kind and thoughtful. I liked at the end of each chapter there were questions to answer and I did so. What life did I want to lead? Where was my time really going? The power of saying no and JOMO? (Joy of Missing Out)

I really took this book to heart and did change some of my habits. For instance I implemented Sunday night after nap home time. Instead of playdates or errands, I’m trying to keep Sunday afternoon and evenings free to stay at home, do laundry, clean, and have family time with my daughter. I’ve also put on no social media locks on my phone so between certain hours I can’t access those apps. I’m also trying to use my lunch hour better. I only have an hour and while I like to say hi to my co workers, I’d rather not spend my time making small talk and would much rather go into another room and read. (sorry guys.) Granted, I don’t have a lot of free time. Between sleep, work, over an hour commute each way, etc. there’s not a whole lot of daytime left.

But what this book really brought to the forefront was what I wanted to focus on in the time I have that would make my life more full, and how even little moments stolen impacted my overall health and happiness.

So thank you. So far it’s been going much better. I have felt like I have more time to breathe and focus on things that I want to focus on.