Me in the garden where I spend a lot of my time with the children.

I have a lot of energy. That's just who I am. I want to do a lot of things all the time, and I usually have enough energy for it. But even I get tired at times (especially once a month.) There are few things that load my batteries though, my three big sources of inspiration in life:

My 50-50 relationship 

I would never have had the energy to do so many things in my life if I didn't have a respectful and equal relationship. We live as equals both emotionally and practically. Many women don't feel this way though, and they often take more responsibility for the home and children than their partners do (often because it's expected of them.) I would not be able to live the way I do now: working, being in a relationship, gardening and taking care of the children, without having a partnership like this.

There are a lot of mommy bloggers out there writing about the demands that they face every day, and how a whole generation of women are risking burnout because of it. I don't feel that way. There are two equal adults in my household, and we share the responsibility for our family and home. We also share the same values and expectations on each other and the relationship. These things together with the ability to prioritize well, help me feel strong most of the time.

Read more: Gardening and The five magic hours

My children

I love spending time with my children. They are so fun, wonderful and crazy. I get so much energy when I'm with my kids.

Our children start going to school at the age of four and we get to spend lots of time with them before that. One of us is always at home with the kids before they start school. This means that we really get to know each other and learn how to best spend time together. I have always brought them with me out into the garden. They love being outside, which is why I am able to work in the kitchen garden together with my kids!

Read more about gardening with the children: Gardening with kids

The kids love playing with basically anything they can get ahold of in my garden, garden hoses, tools or pallet collars. They play new games every single day and can spend hours creating and enjoying themselves. I make sure they play close to me, so I can keep an eye on them all the time. They sometimes help me out with the gardening too, which is fun for everyone. But it's not my job to keep them entertained all the time. I am there though, always there for them. I acknowledge them and make them feel seen. I help, answer questions and give them a hug when they need one. Spending time together in the garden makes me feel like a good mother who is always there for her children when they need her, while also getting to do what I want and need to do. This helps all of us feel secure and happy. This way, my time with the kids is also a source of new energy and inspiration.

Watch one of my live videos about gardening with children:

Enjoying myself every day

I can't imagine anything worse than having to spend my days doing something that just doesn't feel meaningful and fun. I started working in radio around 20 years ago and I have had the privilege to do things that I enjoy every since. But I have also felt what it's like to have a work situation that doesn't feel quite right. It's hard.

I'm so happy that my days are filled with work and everyday chores that feel meaningful and give me inspiration. I might not make a huge difference for mankind as a whole, but I'm learning, developing and engaging myself in things I find truly interesting. This really helps me find the energy and inspiration to keep at it.

My best tip for feeling more inspired in general is to clean less. Keeping your house spotless takes so much time! That's why we have a cleaning schedule here at home. We try to clean just one room for about 20 minutes every day. This means that our entire house rarely looks super neat, except for when we have guests of course. This laid back attitude to housekeeping might take some time getting used to, but it really does make life a lot easier. We can clean as much as we want when the kids are older after all. Now, I would gladly trade the time cleaning for a spontaneous barbeque with my dirty but happy kids on a cloudy fall day.

Have a wonderful day!
/Sara Bäckmo