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update July 26, 2021

How do working moms balance life?

Being a working mom and balancing it all is a working progress.

Staying productive and work-driven seems to be my problem right now. How about you?

Why is it so difficult to get your body to follow your mind? There are many times when I am mentally motivated to check things off my to-do list, but the problem is getting up to do it.

Do I really need to grab my computer? Ok, I’ll get up in 30 mins promise.

Or I know that I should schedule doctor appointments for the kids, but then I think I should fold clothes instead.

But honey, doing house chores is my excuse not to take care of real business.

Plus, did I mention I am 5 months preggo! So that also adds to the laziness I feel.

So far, I have a week-old birthday letter that needs to be mailed, weekly blog posts that should be published, more clothes to fold, and on and on.

But they are many things I have learned during this tiring, unmotivated, undriven time in my life as a working mom.

Update: I no longer have babies yaayy they are 3, 7, and 14. This list has helped me tremendously. I still work full time, and since the quarantine, the kids have been home. Yup, that over a year. So tips for working from home and keeping the kids busy help me stay sane.

Tips to balance work and motherhood

1. Understand YOUR working mom life struggle

Every mom challenge would not be the same.

Although we are trying to keep it together, some may help in areas that cause the struggle to be in another area.

As a working mom, my challenge involves getting the kids out of the house on time in the morning so that I can make the 7:42 train. If I make it to the train, then I can make it to work before 9 am.

I have a morning routine and night routine that worked like a charm until the summer set in, and I fell off the schedule. So one thing I must do is regroup and get back into a productive working mom routine.

Being pregnant has been a big challenge because all I want to do is SLEEP. 

If only there were more hours in the day so I can sleep and get stuff done.

Some days I’m ready to clean, respond to FB groups, and organizing my to-do list. But 80% of the time, I’m a mushy noodle with no energy.

Things that help combat the limited drive are to add it to your schedule and give yourself a timeframe. So, for instance, set your alarm for 5 mins to get up so you can brain dump and organize your to-do list.

Update: now that we are working from home, my struggle is no longer the morning struggle. For now, until things change again, my struggle is finding big blocks of time to focus. Since my toddler is home, she asks me to play or get snacks or dance every like 5 mins.

So I rely on having a positive mindset and setting goals to get at least 2 things done a day.

2. Being a balanced mom means asking for help

Asking for help is hard for me because outside of my husband, I am the “ ill do it myself “ girl, which is not a good trait because you can burn yourself out and get nothing done.

Related: Do You Have Perfectionist Traits? [ 11 tips to overcome]

You know when you have so much to do that you end up doing nothing.

Don’t be ashamed to ask family and friends to babysit when you need a break so you can catch up on important tasks, cleaning, and sleep. Ok, no more sleeping!

Enlist the family when you can. I have 3 children.

The older 2 has chores, which is a tremendous help.

The teen chores consist of loading and unloading the dishwasher, washing his own clothes, cleaning his bathroom, and more.

My middle child grabs things off the floor, such as shoes, books, clothes, toys, and keeps the containers clean.

My husband has actually picked up my slack. He does the nighttime routine with the kids, cooks, or more likely brings food home, after-school pickups, and takes our son to football practice. He also washes so many clothes.

I still don’t understand how we make so many clothes, but he is the washer, and I am the folder. So we have that down to a science too.

Update July 2021: We have brought a much bigger home which means more cleaning, so once in a while I will higher help. We are still hours away from home so getting a break means running to the store alone.

Related: 8 TIPS TO SUCCEED AS A WORKING MOM: TOOLS AND RESOURCES FOR BALANCE

Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links. For more information, see my disclosures here.

3. Reduce mom overwhelm by planning in advance

If there is one thing I live by its planning.

Because the hardest thing to do is to tell yourself that today you will get xyz done when you don’t know where to start. My simply mapping out you day the night or week before, you will know EXACTLY what to do when.

Working mom balance life hacks that can ease feeling overwhelmed or unproductive.

1. Meal prep ideas 20 lunches you can meal prep on Sunday or if your kids have allergy like my little girl 7 days of allergy-free meals
2. Create a routine :Nighttime routine that makes mornings easier
3. Make a list of things that must be done then needs to be done : Prepare for a productive week – podcast  
4. Use a Planner! Look I dont know about you but i cant remember anything. The moment something else comes to my brain the other task are deleted. Write the things down and block out when using the calendar.
5. Make days of batch work. For example, wed are adminstrativee task days. So, I will make calls, send emails and make appointments only on that day.

5. Take Care of Yourself

I can relate to the idea of getting everything done NOW, especially since we only have one month to get our entire life in order. Ok, that was a joke, but I’m sure you feel as though time is not on your side, and you are racing the clock.

Be sure you give yourself a time limit, so 3 days of relaxing seems reasonable, whereas 3 months is counterproductive.

Update: I think a very important thing about parenting is knowing when to take breaks. I try to give myself 30 mins a day doing something for me, even if its relaxing watching Netflix ALONE.

If you need selfcare ideas with kids read 14 Realistic Self Care Ideas for Moms with No Time

—–>>>>download PDF mom motivation<<<<—–

5. Find Time for Your Passion

In life, there will always be goals that you want to reach. Those are the things that keep you alive.

But, also its important to find things to be grateful for in your life because gratuitide increases your vibration.

And your vibration helps you attract more positivity and wealth.

So I make a point to stay present in my life and be thankful for thee goals I achieve.

• Notice the smile of your children because they grow fast.
• Cuddle with your loved one to keep the fire and to show appreciation.
• Be there for those you come in contact with because you never know whose life you can positively influence.
• Be grateful that you can see, hear, and smell because it’s easy to take things for granted
• Make time for your girlfriends so you can vent, laugh or just hang out

These might not directly motivate you, but they can put you in a good headspace so that you can remember your WHY  and push towards it. Being a mom is challenging enough. Adding work to the schedule complicates things even more.  But as a working mom finding what works, taking time for yourself, and keeping a plan can make it all better.