There is nothing easy about being a mom. Add to that the stress that comes with working as a mom and you can find yourself exhausted on a whole new level. Finding balance as a working mom is important for not just you, but the whole family too.
From running kids to and from school, normal errands and just working all day (or night) being a working mom is a constant struggle to stay afloat for some.
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There are some jobs or careers where the physical aspect of the job is minimal but the mental drain is enormous. Then there are the fields where you are constantly standing, moving around, and lifting heavy objects. These types of jobs can make it harder to spend quality time with the kiddos when you are exhausted from work.
It’s not just the time with your kids you might lose, but time with your significant other and friends. Let’s face it you don’t feel like doing much of anything if you are tired from working all the time.
Here are some ways that you can balance work and home life so that you don’t feel tired or overwhelmed all the time.
Why its important to balance work and home life
When you are a working mom it can be hard to focus on what is important at that time. If you are at work, you’re thinking about the kids. When you are with the kids, you are thinking about work. I felt like this for years and there is a trick to get past it.
You need to switch the way you think around.
Worry about work only when you are there. If you really need to work out of the office, plan a small chunk of time to do that. Just don’t go overboard and plan hours at home to work. One hour of work at home after office hours should be more than enough.
If you work from home, it’s different but the idea is still the same. Set working hours for yourself and stick to them. When you are done, you’re done. Don’t make excuses to keep working throughout the evening.
It can wait till tomorrow.
The same idea goes for the kids. If you have more than one child at home, set time aside each day to spend together as a family and a few hours each week to spend time with each kid away from the others.
Plan a date night with your partner or friends can ensure that you are spending time with them. Even if it’s just once in a while, taking time to nurture your relationships with others can help you find balance too.
When you do this, you can make sure that everyone is getting the time with you that they need or want. This can be difficult when kids are little, but you can plan it out with your partner how you want to accomplish this.
Even after you carve out time for everyone, you need to make sure you are taking time for yourself too. Plan a few hours each week to get away from the family and work. Do things that you want to do. Whether it’s a get together with friends or time by yourself. It will give you time to recharge and re-center yourself.
Things you can do with the kids
Not everyone is going to be the queen of projects with the kids. And not all kids are actually into doing crafts. I know mine don’t. So I found other things that we can do together that we all enjoy.
If you are stuck on what to do here are some ideas
- Nerf fights – We just set up a space in the house or outside and run around shooting each other.
- Family Game Night – We usually play a video game like Minecraft together and build different worlds. By working together the kids learn how to work together to get things done.
- Family book club – This is good for older kids but little ones might like it too. Pick one book for everyone to read for the week. Over the weekend sit down and discuss what was in the book.
- Movie night – A different person picks the movie that you watch each time. After the movie have a discussion about what you liked or learned from it.
- Outdoor stuff. – Starting a garden or taking a nature walk is a great way to spend time with the kids. It also gets everyone out of the house and learning about nature.
Once you find what works for your family spending time together becomes an experience that the whole family looks forward to, even teens.
Related Reading: Your Mom Identity and What is Self-Care
Taking Time For Yourself
It’s just as important to spend time on yourself as it is with your family. If you don’t take the time to recharge yourself you will end up burnt out.
I know as a mom I feel guilty sometimes when I take the time to do things by myself. But you really shouldn’t.
Taking the time to practice self-care will make you a better mom to your kids. Even if it’s just sitting alone and reading your favorite book a few times a week.
You are still getting time to be alone without anyone needing you for anything. Whether you’re a stay at home mom or working, you still need that time by yourself to recharge.
There are a lot of different things that you can do as far as self-care goes. As long as its something that YOU enjoy doing it counts.
Some Ideas For Self-Care
- Taking a bath- I don’t mean a simple bath. I mean a relaxing bath. Get your favorite bubble bath or bath bombs to add to the water and just enjoy the peace and quiet.
- Reading – Remember that book you keep forgetting to read. Get that out curl up in a quiet place inside or out and read for an hour. Sometimes just allowing your self to get out of your head can do wonders.
- Video Games – They aren’t just for kids you know. Many of the games out today are fun for parents to play too. My current favorite is Minecraft. I get to build whatever I want and not have to deal with someone criticizing what I’m doing. I have it on my laptop and sometimes just play to take a break from working.
- Coloring – In the last few years, there has been an emphasis on the relaxing effect that coloring can have for adults. I love my abstract coloring book and bring it out when I am feeling super stressed.
- Yoga/Working Out- Taking the time to work out and/or do Yoga can have a huge impact on how you feel overall. If you can work out or do yoga a few times a week you will see a big change in how you feel about life in general.
Now these are not all of the things you can do for self-care but it is a good place to start.
Any time that you carve out for yourself counts.
It could be lunch or coffee with friends or taking a longer way home.
Just do something for yourself a few hours each week.
Taking the time to take care of yourself makes it easier to balance everything else.
Final Thoughts
There is nothing easy about being a working mom. But there are ways to make it easier to balance everything that you have in your life. By figuring out the correct work and life balance everyone wins, including you.
If there is anything else you can think of let me know in the comments!
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