FA M I LY C I RCUS

EVERY WOMAN I know is a juggler, a tightrope walker and a ringmaster. Whether it’s balancing work and home life, caring for kids and grandkids or managing schedules, there’s a good reason why so many of us feel like we’re living in the middle of a circus: We are. I’m fortunate enough to have lots of support in my day-to-day life. My husband, Ned, is always on hand to help with day-care pickup or whipping up a Quick & Easy recipe for dinner. My parents and parents-in-law live in town and make themselves available for occasional babysitting and help on the weekends— a situation that’s as unusual among my friends as it is lucky for us. (Some say it takes a village to raise kids; I say it takes a small army.) And while I’m endlessly grateful to everyone in my life who enables me to tackle chores, get to work and stay sane, I’ll be the first to admit that it can be tough to find the time to take care of myself, even with so many helping hands around.

This month in our new Health column, “How She Does It” (page 56), we ask Canadian television personality Sangita Patel about how she manages to meet her wellness goals while navigating a busy schedule. It’s a question I’m endlessly fascinated by because, to be honest, it hasn’t been easy for me to get to the gym as much as I’d like. With a full-time job (this one!), plus three little kids, laundry and lunch-making occupying much of my spare time, squeezing in a workout isn’t always feasible. Yet, I know how critical exercise is to my physical and mental health—it’s not something I’m willing to push aside entirely.

So, I’m curious, how do you do it? How do you make time for yourself when time itself is at a premium? Email me your tips at jes.watson@tva.ca, or let me know on social media at @jeswatson. I’d love to hear how you make health and wellness a priority in your life.

Oh, and maybe there’s one more role we can add to our list of personal circus acts: magician. Because how else do we make it all work?