As a mom of four, I know that being a mom is a full-time job in itself. Taking on a job outside of being a mom brings with it a whole new set of challenges. Being able to contribute to the family income can be fulfilling, but it can also take a toll on your overall health.
Learning how to manage your time as a working mom allows you to do all of your tasks and still carve out time to relax and take care of your own needs. That’s why today, I’m sharing a round-up of practical time management tips for working moms!
10 Time Management Tips for Working Moms
Adjust Your Expectations
As moms, we sometimes feel like we have to be perfect. We want to be the best mom, the best at our jobs, the best wife, the best friend, and so on. Think about how much pressure we’re putting on ourselves with these expectations. What have you sacrificed to chase these unrealistic standards? It’s no wonder so many of us feel burnt out and ridden with mom guilt!
Cut yourself some slack. Don’t burden yourself with the pressure of trying to be perfect. Take a look at the things in your life that matter the most and let go of everything else. Focus on being the mom your kids need and the woman you want to be. Don’t waste your time trying to be the woman you think society expects you to be.
Take Care Of Yourself
As a mom of four, I know how easy it is to forget about taking care of yourself. Between working and running a household, self-care is often put on the back burner. But taking care of yourself, both physically and mentally, is important. It makes everything else easier and ensures that you can be the best version of yourself for those around you.
Self-care works great as part of an evening routine for working moms. I like to practice self-care at home with meditation, reading, and unplugging from social media.
Plan Your Day
Between your home life and your career, it can feel like you’re being pulled in a million different directions. Taking just a few minutes to plan out your day can save you a ton of stress and a good amount of time.
Planning each day makes it easier to use your time more efficiently. It can also keep you from forgetting something important.
Some people like to use digital planners, but I like to use paper planners to plan my day. Find a system that works for you and stick with it to help you manage your time.
Minimize Multitasking
Moms are master multitaskers. How often have you taken a work call while cooking dinner and helping your kids with their homework? You tell yourself that you’re getting more done that way, but constant multitasking can take a toll on your mental health.
Shockingly, multitasking not only affects the accuracy and speed at which you complete tasks, but it can potentially interfere with your memory and attention span.
Do yourself a favor and focus on one task at a time.
Prioritize Your Tasks
Of all the time management tips for busy moms, this one is often the hardest to implement. With so much on your to-do list, how are you supposed to decide which tasks take priority over others?
The key to successfully prioritizing your tasks is to pinpoint which ones are the most important to you. Make a list of everything you need to do, then rank them based on importance. Start with the things that must be accomplished, then continue adding tasks in order of importance.
Set And Maintain Work-Life Boundaries
If you don’t keep it in check, your work can begin to infiltrate your personal life. Then, before you know it, quality time with your family is constantly being interrupted by work. It also makes it harder to give either one your full attention.
Create work-life boundaries that allow you to focus on your job during work hours and your family when you clock out. One example of this is refusing to answer work calls or emails after a set time of day.
Limit Distractions
Depending on your job, and especially if you work from home, distractions are unavoidable. But with too many distractions, productivity is practically impossible. They also interrupt important connections with your children.
Focus solely on the task at hand by limiting distractions as much as possible. Silence or even turn off your phone while you focus on a task. Or create blocks in your schedule to maximize productivity.
If you work from home, teach your kids not to interrupt you while you’re working (unless it’s an emergency). Make the most of your time with them when you’re not working to lessen the temptation.
Practice Mindfulness
Practicing mindfulness is a great way to improve your physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual well-being. As a working mom with a lot on your plate, practicing mindfulness can help you deal with stress and be more present.
Some great mindfulness techniques for working moms include meditation, deep breathing, and yoga. It won’t take long for you to notice how a simple mindset shift can help you manage your time more successfully. You’ll feel calmer, less overwhelmed, and empowered to tackle the tasks at hand.
Plus, regular practice can improve other aspects of your life, from managing your workload more effectively to improving your quality time with your kids.
Delegate Tasks
If you aren’t the only one living in your house, you shouldn’t be the only one responsible for maintaining it. Lighten your load by sharing the responsibility with your spouse. You can also assign age-appropriate chores to get your kids involved.
Delegating tasks not only shortens your to-do list, it teaches your kids responsibility and shows them that maintaining your home is a team effort.
Take Advantage Of Technology
These days, technology can help you with everything from grocery shopping and paying bills to keeping track of your daily and weekly schedules. Embrace technology and recognize it for what it is: a fantastic tool to help you better manage your time and increase productivity.
Best Time Management Apps For Working Moms
ClickUp
ClickUp is one of the highest-rated project management tools. It’s a great app for working moms who need some help with effective time management. With features like checklists, in-app video recordings, collaborative docs, and kanban boards, this app is a game-changer for busy moms.
One of the great things about Clickup is that it can be as simple or as complex as you want it to be. You can choose from numerous customizable views, like a calendar, list, or board, to keep track of your daily to-do’s.
Todoist
Todoist makes it easy to keep your tasks organized, stay on top of deadlines, build habits, and review each day. You can create a list, add tasks, and then categorize your tasks by adding due dates, reminders, and prioritization.
With Todoist, you can also delegate tasks, which is a super helpful feature for busy families.
You can choose between the Basic plan (free), the Pro plan ($4/month), and the Business plan ($6/month).
Rize
Rize is another fantastic app for good time management. It can effectively improve your focus, productivity, and habits. In addition to showing you how many hours you’ve worked, you’ll also see how long you were focused on work versus the time spent context-switching. It’ll even show you which websites are the most distracting for you.
Plus, information is automatically inputted, which saves you the time and effort of constantly having to put it in manually.
You can use the session timer for free, or pay $9.99 per month (when billed annually) for full access to Rize.
Serene
Serene is a top-rated time management app for MacOS (Windows coming soon) that can significantly boost your productivity by improving your focus and minimizing distractions.
Features of the Serene app include:
- Planning: You can make a list of what you want to accomplish for the day and set a time for completing it.
- Distraction blocking: For each task you set, Serene blocks specific websites and updates your status in programs like Slack to show others that you’re unavailable.
- Improved focus: With tools like music, a phone silencer, periodic breaks, and timers, Serene makes it easier to stay focused on the task at hand.
Serene costs $4 per month.
Notion
Notion is an app that offers tools from different productivity and time management apps, all on the same platform. It can be used for to-do lists, note-taking, spreadsheets, project management, and more. With all of these tools in one place, you can manage your time more effectively.
With these tips, you can manage your time more effectively and reduce work-life stress.
Working moms are on the clock 24/7. Whether you work outside of the home or not, effective time management can be a total game-changer when it comes to your overall well-being. Try incorporating some of these tips into your routine to see how much of a difference they can make for you.
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