Whether they are employed or not, all moms work. Taking care of children considerably increases the number of hours you spend performing daily tasks. If we also add taking care of the house and 40 hours at work a week, it becomes a real art to complete the list of obligations. Luckily, our time management tips for busy moms will help you stay on schedule without losing your head.
Why is time management important for busy moms?
Organizing a day is not an easy task at all for a busy mom. Moms (together with their partners) have to make sure that the children are fed, bathed, and ready for school, that the house is tidy, groceries are bought, and lunch is on the table. If the kids are homeschooled, that brings extra responsibilities. All this while trying to get to work on time and prepare for a meeting. The list goes on and on.
Time is precious for active mothers because they often do not spend the whole day with their children, so quality time spent at home is crucial, as is organization.
To successfully balance family responsibilities and taking care of tasks, you must first learn to organize your time well. Although some people are born with such tendencies, it is a simple habit you can acquire through determination. Here are our best tips.
If you get the habit of planning your day using a planner, you will not only be more productive but also more relaxed. They say that every minute spent planning and writing down goals and plans for the next few days saves as much as ten minutes of work. So, if you spend only 10 minutes every night planning the next day, you will save as much as an hour and 40 minutes! During that time, you can take a shower, have coffee with a friend, exercise, or even sleep.
A few pointers:
● When you remember something - write it down immediately. You might forget it as soon as you start your next activity.
● When planning the day, create a list of priorities and follow it. You don't need to vacuum every day, but you should include some playtime with the youngsters.
● Be sure to incorporate some alone time, preferably in the morning. While drinking your morning coffee, you can go through your to-do list once again.
● It is best to have a plan for the whole month - it can easily happen that you forget someone's birth or regular doctor check-ups. Once you have that written down, it will be hard for you to miss it.
A few pointers:
● When you remember something - write it down immediately. You might forget it as soon as you start your next activity.
● When planning the day, create a list of priorities and follow it. You don't need to vacuum every day, but you should include some playtime with the youngsters.
● Be sure to incorporate some alone time, preferably in the morning. While drinking your morning coffee, you can go through your to-do list once again.
● It is best to have a plan for the whole month - it can easily happen that you forget someone's birth or regular doctor check-ups. Once you have that written down, it will be hard for you to miss it.
2. Set realistic goals and priorities
A to-do list is useless if it is too ambitious. What is the point of writing intangible tasks? Only a limited number of things can be done in one day, no matter how organized you are. Moms are not mythical superheroes - and should not even try to be. So, make your daily goals realistic enough to meet them. Remember: you can always do more if you have enough time.
Don't make changes to the schedule of children's activities, business obligations, and household chores at once, because you will certainly not be able to push on all fronts. Take one area, give yourself 30 days to create a habit, and then move on. When you establish a routine that suits you, stick to it. You will see how suddenly the chaos of life starts to make sense. You will be faster, more efficient, and ready for anything life throws at you.
3. Learn how to say NO
One of our best time management tips for busy moms is to accept the power of the word NO. You do not have to be present at every meeting, oversee all the pitches, or take on additional work projects. You do not have to attend every family gathering or go out with a friend if you'd rather be home. Saying NO can be awkward, but it's a skill that gives you the time you wouldn't otherwise have access to. You will inspire yourself once you see the power standing up for yourself holds. Furthermore, observing the implementation of restrictions teaches your children the value of setting boundaries.
4. Don't try to multitask
If you want to maintain a healthy lifestyle and change your life for the better, time management is one of the crucial skills to tame. Although many think that doing everything you can at all times is productive, the truth is very far from that. You will do any task better if you dedicate yourself only to it, and good organization will allow you to do that.
When you are at work, stop thinking about dinner. When you take time for yourself, do not worry about your kid's math homework. Good organization skills rely on doing the task you have in front of you right now, then moving onto the next one.
5. Reward yourself
To stay motivated and boost your confidence, always reward yourself for your victories - both small and big. Juggling all this is real wisdom, and whenever you successfully do what you set out to do, treat yourself - even if it's 5 minutes of reading a book, a favorite TV show, a slice of your favorite cake, or something else. Even if you haven't managed to do everything you intended to, don't be hard on yourself. The most important thing is that you tried - we are all only humans, after all, even moms.
Each plan should have enough free time. We all know what we need to do during the day, and we are often strict with ourselves to achieve all that. Of course, the solution is not to go to the other extreme. That is why our focus and enthusiasm for chores are better when we know that a reward in the form of planned free time awaits!
Final thoughts
We hope our time management tips for busy moms will show themselves helpful for your active everyday life. Remember - no one expects you to be perfect, so don't put that pressure on yourself. Doing your best is more than enough.
Meta description: When you are a parent, things can get really hectic – we all know it. To help you with that, we bring you the best time management tips for busy moms.
No comments