The Juggling Act

Latest Episodes:

Daily Coronavirus Check-in: Practical tips for handling your child's tantrums May 17, 2020

Show notes

I’ve noticed that my four-year-old has been much cheekier these past couple of weeks, and that seems to be a common observation from a few parents I’ve spoken to about their children too. Kids who are normally pretty chill have been losing it at random things or acting up at school and daycare. As my kids say ‘my brain stopped working’. It’s not surprising given the extreme circumstances we’re living under, it’s such a huge thing for them to fully grasp. On top of that, we’re tired, stressed and anxious, which makes it much harder to handle those tantrums when they happen. So I reached out to Dr Elise Bialylew, psychiatrist and author of the bestselling book The Happiness Plan, for some practical tips on how to handle them without losing our own minds.

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Daily Coronavirus Check-in: Money savvy tips to keep your finances in check during Covid May 14, 2020

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Like a lot of people, I have been saving money since we went into quarantine. No daycare and before or after school care fees, no sporting fees, travel costs are gone and we’re obviously not going out. BUT there’s the underlying anxiety over job security – a familiar story all over Australia and the rest of the world. That’s if you haven’t already been stood down or had your income significantly reduced. So it can be hard to really enjoy those Netflix binges when you’re worried about how you’re going to pay the bills. Research shows that 1 in 3 Australian Households can’t find $500 in an emergency, so there are a lot of people feeling financially overwhelmed and anxious right now. I reached out to the money coaches at Ladies Finance Club to find out their money-saving moves to try and help us stay afloat.

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Daily Coronavirus Check-in: Why are we all experiencing iso face? May 13, 2020

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I don’t know about you, but iso skin is totally a thing for me. My hands are getting so dry and itchy courtesy of OCD hand washing. The skin on my whole body feels so dry, yet on my face, I’m breaking out again like a teenager – even though I’ve stopped wearing makeup. Surely my skin should look like an SKII ad?! It seems I’m not the only one experiencing more breakouts than usual while self-isolating amid the outbreak (the corona outbreak, not the one on my face). So what exactly is causing everyone's skin to play up? I checked in with some experts to find out why we’re all experiencing #isoface and what we can do about it.

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Daily Coronavirus Check-in: Why are we all panic drinking our feelings? May 12, 2020

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I had a particularly stressful day at work last week and a colleague said to me, you can have an extra glass of wine tonight and I thought, ‘I really don’t need permission for that because I’m already drinking too much’! And that’s a familiar story across the country with a recent poll finding that 70% of people are drinking more since the COVID-19 outbreak in Australia and over a third say they are drinking every day. And I get it. It’s the anxiety, the stress of the unknown and the fact that we don’t have the normal outlets to try and keep those emotions in check. So how can we stop panic drinking or feelings? I’m joined on the podcast today by writer Annaliese Dent who spoke to some experts and shares her experience.

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Daily Coronavirus Check-in: The silver linings from isolation we need to hold onto May 11, 2020

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I recently got to know my new neighbor who is also working from home. We had a wine – okay a couple, on the weekend – and then she dropped some baking off at my door the following day. And I was thinking what a nice upside this has been to the whole pandemic situation. I really feel like our whole building and street has been so supportive and really pulled together. There have been quite a few other wonderful things to come from the devastation of the global pandemic (like zoom dates with your friends). I reached out to some other mums to find out what they hope to continue once things go back to normal.

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Daily Coronavirus Check-in: Dr Elize Bialylew with tips on self-care in isolation May 10, 2020

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Self-care, it can be a difficult thing to prioritise as a working mum, particularly in isolation. We don’t have the same outlets we usually have – a trip to the hairdresser, a massage, coffee or cocktail with friends. I’ve been doing the odd face mask at home – iso skin is a whole different ep - but apart from that, I haven’t really been doing that much. It just feels like I’m getting through each day, which I’m sure is not healthy or sustainable. And sadly I’m not sure experts would recommend wine for self-care (damn it!). So, time to get some professional advice .I reached out to Dr Elise Bialylew, psychiatrist, author of the bestselling book, The Happiness Plan and founder of Mindful in May, for some practical tips.

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Daily Coronavirus Check-in: Ada Nicodemou on how we can still have a special Mother’s Day in iso May 07, 2020

Show notes

So it’s Mother’s Day on Sunday and for many people it’s going to look quite different to what it has in other years. Hopefully there will still be breakfast or a coffee in bed, but we might not be able to catch up with our own mother’s with the whole family around, head for lunch or have social gatherings of more than a few people - depending on what state you're in. I read some research done by Big W that found almost 30% of Australian families don’t know if they will celebrate Mother’s Day this year and 17% won’t be celebrating Mother’s Day at all, due to the current COVID-19 climate! This just can’t happen people. It has been a full on couple of months and mums need a break – especially in iso. So I reached out to Home & Away Actress and Big W ambassador Ada Nicodemou to find out how she’s spending Mother’s Day this year, and to get some tips on how we can still make it a special day…

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Daily Coronavirus Check-in: Tiff Hall's tips on beating the iso snack blues May 06, 2020

Show notes

I don’t know about you guys, but being stuck in the house all day has led to me, and the kids, reaching for the fridge door, way more often than usual. I wouldn't be surprised if it suddenly groaned "what now?!". If you’re having a similar struggle, then you’ll be pleased to know that mum, influencer, author and all-round goddess, Tiff Hall, has sent me her best tips for beating the iso snack blues. Praise be.

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Daily Coronavirus Check-in: The struggles of co-parenting during Covid May 05, 2020

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This period has been challenging for everyone, but it’s been particularly challenging for people trying to make big decisions about keeping their family safe, with someone they don’t get along. I’ve been surprisingly lucky in that regard. We had a disagreement initially about keeping the kids in care and school, but then came to a compromise and we haven’t really had any major issues since. I reached out to some other single parents – mums and dads, to find out what challenges they’ve been facing and to hopefully help you realise that if you're in a similar situation, you are not alone.

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Daily Coronavirus Check-in: Eight feelings that are totally normal to be having right now May 04, 2020

Show notes

I feel so superficial for saying this, but last night I opened my wardrobe and thought ‘ I really miss my work clothes and getting ready for the day!’. Then I just kinda slumped and thought, I’m over this. I think my kids are over it too. We ran into some friends at the bike park on Sunday and all the kids started fighting. It's like they have forgotten how to socialise. I think I’VE forgotten how to socialise! Then I just started to worry about it, and overanalyse things and stress about whether this is normal?! Well if you’re wondering the same thing, I’ve got a list of EIGHT feelings and worries that therapists are hearing the most during their sessions and say are totally normal to be feeling right now… Hopefully knowing that what you’re feeling is universal, will help bring some comfort.

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