September newsletter

Focusing on the Core…. FAMILY

September 2013 Successful Single Moms Memphis Issue #2

1. Be 100% where you are. It’s easy to keep

thinking about that project you’re working on

long after you’ve left the office. And we’re

all guilty of sneaking out our phones to check

work email during dinner. But by doing so,

we let work take up more space than it should

in our lives. Make an effort to leave working

the office physically and mentally. Decide

when you are shutting off and then actually

do it.

2. Be more organized at work. One major

reason many of us bring work home because

we constantly close out the day in the middle

of a project, which makes it difficult to

mentally leave it behind. Set up tasks on your

calendar to finish projects or get to a stopping

point each day, and prioritize what’s most

important. That way, you leave the workday

feeling complete and ready to relax.

3. Find hobbies. Many people simply don’t

know what to do with their free time. If you

haven’t had hobbies since high school, it’s

time to find some. Explore sports, crafts,

outdoor activities, or reading as a way to

unwind. Take a class, perhaps a class in the

SMU schedule, or attend a seminar about a

topic that interests you.

4. Plan your week. Not allotting time to handle

chores and cook can make for a rushed work

week. Cook a batch of food for your lunches

on Sunday, and designate a half-hour each

day to work on chores. That way you’re not

overwhelmed with housework on the

weekend, which frees you up for more

leisurely pursuits.

5. Enjoy your family. When you’re

focused on work, it’s easy to grow distant

from your family. Small efforts—such as

eating dinner as a family during the week—

make a big difference.

6. Learn to say no. If you’re not feeling

like you’ve over-committed to coaching

soccer, singing in the choir, and volunteering

at the library, then back off of a few things.

Life is too short to commit to meaningless

extracurricular activities that you’d rather

avoid. Assess your activities and if anything

starts to feel like a chore, decline politely.

7. Institute a digital free zone. It can be

hard to turn off the computer, tablet, and

smartphone, but doing so will help you clear

your head and connect with others. Designate

one room or small space in your home where

you can’t update your Facebook status,

answer a work email, watch a YouTube

video, or tune into the nightly news.

8. Exercise. Keeping your body fit and

healthy is key to being happy in work and at

play. Find exercise that you enjoy, and fit

into your routine. Consider finding activities

you can do with your family, such as taking a

walk together. While fitting the time into

your schedule may seem difficult, you’ll find

yourself with more energy to be productive at

work and home with a regular exercise

routine.

9. Be selective with your errands.

Sometimes we can spend all of our free time

running errands or doing chores. Perhaps you

can hire a cleaner to comer every few weeks

to do the deep house cleaning or hire the kid

down the street to mow the lawn.

Nicole Gates

Executive Director

9 Tips for Work-Life Balance

Hello Ladies,

It is my pleasure to announce that we will launch

Single Moms University Saturday, September 7,

2013 at 8:30 am on the campus of Innovation

Church (3925 Overton Crossing. Memphis, TN

38127).

Single Moms University was designed to help single

mothers develop personally and professionally. It is

hard try to support your family and your dreams

with limited resources and education, so we have

created the courses that will help you to develop

personally and professionally.

A real leader doesn’t get comfortable with having

followers; they take the necessary steps to make

those followers leaders. At SMU we are all about

channeling that inner leader inside of every class

member. I believe that with the instructors help,

community partners, the participation of students,

and the help of Memphis, TN SMU will strike a fuse

to eliminate the poverty disparity.

Once again I would like to encourage all those that

are interested and those that are not to FALL INTO

LEARNING, as we are making a change to the

stigma of a Single Mom.

Thank you,

Ashley Grayson

Director of Development

September 2013 Successful Single Moms Memphis Issue #2

Annie

Scale BACK

BECAUSE HEALTH IS LIFE.

The Mission of Scale BACK Annie is to motivate

individuals in becoming healthy by encouraging

life-style changes through eating habits and

physical exercise, daily.

We know that it’s hard trying to juggle all of

the chaos throughout the day, and on top of

that trying to stay healthy. Aside of all the

chaos, you have to come home to prepare a

meal or family, or would like to. Even though it

may be more convenient to stop at a fast food

restaurant, it is not healthy for your loved ones.

Hopefully these 10 Tips to a Healthy Eating will

help you.

Eat a variety of nutrient-rich foods.

Enjoy plenty of whole grains, fruits and

vegetables.

Maintain a healthy weight.

Eat moderate portions.

Eat regular meals.

Reduce, don’t eliminate certain foods.

Balance your food choices over time.

Know your diet pitfalls.

Make changes gradually.

Remember, foods are not good or bad.

Also, remember to consumer 8-8oz of water per day. It

is called the forgotten secret of health for a reason.

If you would like to know more about Annie

Scale BACK, you can contact Vanessa

Caswell-Rogers @ (901)-503-9388 or you can

email her at [email protected]

September 2013 Successful Single Moms Memphis Issue #2

Recent Talk at the Membership Table

We are pleased to have each and every one of you as a member of the SSMM family.

Whether you're a new member, been around from the beginning, or fall somewhere in

between, your interest in SSMM further demonstrates your interest in enhancing the

quality of life for yourself and your family. With so many programs being offered

through the organization, we are certain that you will find one or more of them to be

engaging, informative and affordable.

If you haven't already filled out an application recently, we humbly ask that you please

do so as soon as possible. Even if you've been a member for a while, we still need an

updated application from everyone. We've had several birthdays, graduations, births,

etc...and we want to celebrate your triumphs. Our new applications are specific to those

key questions that aid us in learning more about you, your family, your interests and

your needs. To request an application or obtain additional information related to

membership, please email Joyce Parkinson at [email protected].

Thank you,

Joyce Parkinson

Remember to check out Successful

Single Moms Memphis Facebook

page and website for current news and

updates.

www.ssmmemphis.org/

Also, If you would like to submit any

announcements or information for the

monthly newsletter, please send all

articles to [email protected]

September 2013 Successful Single Moms Memphis Issue #2

Eliminating Excuses,

Providing Solutions!!