Tag: work life

Do you feel like you’re always stressed out? Unable to perform at the level you’d like at work? Guilty about being away from your kids at home?

You’re not alone! It’s a difficult time for being a parent. The tricky art between balancing work and family can be challenging for mothers with the best intentions.

However, there are a few strategies that can make restoring the balance simpler. Let’s get into what all mothers need to know.

Stay Organized With A Schedule

Whether it’s digitalized or on paper, keeping a schedule is one of the easiest ways to stay sane in managing your work-life balance. Relying on memory alone is a surefire way to forget something important.

Today, there is no excuse not to stay organized. In fact, many tools and apps allow parents to seamlessly and quickly add, delete, and modify daily schedules.

Each week, take a moment to gloss over your to-do list. When you get up in the morning, take another moment to scan over the responsibilities for the day. Highlight the ones that are most important.

Remember this: your schedule is only beneficial if you actually follow it! Make sure it’s in a visible place for everyone who needs to see it.

Hone Down Your Priorities

Even if you’re the world’s most flexible mother, you’re not going to get everything done in one day. That’s okay! You’re only human, right?

It’s essential to master the art of identifying and implementing your priorities. Fortunately, this is an easy practice to learn.

Commit to starting each day by looking over your schedule. Identify the things that must get done (as in, there will be consequences if you don’t do them), the things you’d like to get done (these are secondary to the musts), and the things that can wait for another day.

Aim to tackle the hardest tasks first. That’s when you have the most energy and motivation. After charging through those, you’ll have a sense of accomplishment and the rest will feel like a breeze.

Delegate Tasks Whenever Possible

Even if you feel like you can do it all, there’s no reason you should. That’s not healthy for you or anyone in your family.

Sit down with your partner and delegate an appropriate division of tasks and chores. It doesn’t have to be completely split down the middle (as that may not be realistic), but having a clear understanding for what each of you is responsible for makes it easier on everyone.

And don’t forget to get your kids involved! Most children want to help around the house, and you’ll be teaching them responsibility later in life by giving them assignments and tasks now.

Streamline Your Chores and Errands

Most mothers are masters at multitasking, and for a good reason. As a mom, you need to be able to juggle several tasks at one time- without getting flustered.

Think of how you can take advantage of multitasking while doing your ordinary chores or errands. For example, can you cluster all your errands into one shopping trip? Can you do the dishes while running a load of laundry?

Stay consistent with your chores and errands. Assign them with a specific date and time. The more consistently you can follow this structure, the faster you’ll get at executing them.

Streamline Night-Before Tasks

Before you get into bed every night, get as much done as you possibly can to prepare for the next day.

That means making lunches and breakfasts, running that load of laundry, picking out a clean outfit for the next day, signing permission slips, etc. Starting your day on a frantic note is a recipe for anxiety.

If you can transition into starting your day more peacefully, you’ll feel more calm and collected.

Outsource if Possible

Some would argue that parenting takes a village, and those who outsource their tasks would agree with this sentiment.

Whether it’s hiring a babysitter for a date night out or using a maid once or twice a month, it can be worth every penny to outsource extra labor. Even a meal-ordering service can go a long way for your peace of mind.

Think of it this way: how much do you value your free time? How much are you willing to spend financially for your emotional health?

Set Boundaries With Technology

Did you know that the average person spends a staggering 10 hours in front of a screen each day? Even if you don’t feel like you have extra time, chances are, you can probably cut back on some of your technology use.

Next time you’re trying to squeeze in a Netflix show or scroll through Instagram for the third time, consider what you could be doing instead.

What about taking the kids to the park? Using that time to catch up on some late work? Squeezing in quality time with your spouse?

Many parents find that setting limits and boundaries around their technology use makes it easier to stay present and enjoy the people and things that really matter.

Practice Flexibility

At the end of the day, you don’t need to be a supermom. That’s unrealistic and unhelpful. Instead, it’s important to practice kindness and compassion towards yourself- no matter what you do or don’t accomplish in a given moment.

Practicing flexibility and learning how to roll with the punches is one of the best ways to manage work-life stress. Taking on this mentality is also a great way to model healthy coping with your young ones.

Final Thoughts on Balancing Work and Family

Balancing work and family will never be a perfect science, but it doesn’t need to be! With the right tips for balancing work and family, you can feel like you have it all- without needing to give it your all.

Are you interested in learning more helpful parenting and family tips? Be sure to check out our blog!