Editorial TeamAs a working mom with a lot on her plate, it is important to remember that you don’t have to be perfect. With the many stresses of life and family, it can be easy to forget that important mantra, but you deserve to enjoy your life and accomplish your goals without feeling excess stress or anxiety.
While there are many strategies that you can utilize to retain order and structure in your life without endangering your mental health, effective time management strategies are the best. By creating smart strategies that allow you to make the most of your time, you can succeed at your job, be there for your family, and enjoy the personal time you deserve.
How Time Management Can Reduce Stress
We may get stressed for many reasons, one of which is that we feel we have too much to do and not enough time. Working moms are some of the busiest people in the world because, while managing the complexities of a day job, many are also expected to care for the kids, cook dinner, and take on many other responsibilities.
It can be very stressful to juggle it all, and that is when time management strategies come in. When you schedule your day accordingly, and you can expect every twist and turn, you can tackle those responsibilities without feeling stressed. You will feel less overwhelmed, and you’ll be able to sleep better knowing that you will wake up with a plan.
While we all deal with stress at one point or another, if you find that you are feeling burned out or having negative thoughts, it might be a good idea to talk to a therapist.
You may feel like you don’t have the time to stop your day to see a professional, but this should be a priority. If you can’t get out of the house, then remember that you can also see a therapist online through a telehealth platform. Teletherapy is an affordable option that allows you to log on from anywhere over a secure connection and talk through your issues. The therapist will listen and then provide potential solutions. Whether you are dealing with anger, anxiety, self-esteem issues, or anything in between, don’t hesitate to get the help you need.
Time Management Strategies For Your Personal Life
Although we typically associate time management strategies with our tasks at work, it is important that you also organize your personal life so you can be productive and avoid stress. Every morning, create a prioritized to-do list. This list should be an agenda of everything you need to do each day, and each activity should have a level of importance, so you know what must be done first and what can be left until tomorrow if necessary. Knowing that you don’t have to do it all can reduce stress.
You should also find ways to combine tasks. That may seem easier said than done when you have children, but you can make it happen with a plan. For instance, you can handle your most complex task or make an important phone call while your child is napping. Or you can make lunch for your kids, and while they are eating, you can start the preparations for dinner so you aren’t rushing later on.
When you have multiple responsibilities at home and can’t get out of the house, you can save time by completing tasks online. These days, you can do your banking, shop, and update the utilities from home, so consider doing so. Also, you can schedule your bill payments and order some of your groceries in advance so you can set it up when you have time, and you won’t need to worry about it later.
Management For Entrepreneurs
If you are a business owner or have a lot of varied responsibilities at your company, then time management strategies are a way to continue achieving your goals and keep your stress at bay.
The most important strategy you can try is to delegate your work to other associates or hire an agency or virtual assistant to take on the smaller tasks so you can focus on the larger projects. You can try that same tactic at home. If you have some easier chores that typically take up some of your time and you can teach the kids how to do them on your behalf, then that could free up a lot of time.
You can also use technology and online tools to help you to accomplish your work and take some of the stress out of your job. For instance, many busy people can become stressed when they can’t quickly log into necessary systems because they have the wrong password. You can remedy that by using a cloud-based password management system to store that information so you can log in quickly. Another idea is to use free online programs like Google Sheets to keep all important documents and spreadsheets online and in the cloud so you can access them from anywhere. The point is that we now have access to many programs that can make your life easier.
Finally, it is essential that you create boundaries and set work hours so you can maintain the work/life balance that is essential to a happy and stress-free life. Set a schedule and leave work at the same time every day so you can get home, spend time with your family and accomplish the tasks on your to-do list. Make sure you go to bed reasonably so you can wake up feeling mentally refreshed and ready to take on a new day.
As you can see, time management strategies are essential to a happy and healthy life as a working mom. Make it a point to organize your work and life accordingly, and you will feel much better day after day.