Motherhood doesn’t have to mean being sleep deprived and never getting to see your friends or attend events. It’s never been more important to give ourselves a break and treat ourselves. Really pause and appreciate what we do every single day and take care of our mental health. We always hear the phrase, ‘if you don’t take care of yourself, how can you take care of others’? This holds more true now, than ever before. I hope these 5 time management tips every busy mom needs to know will be of help to you.
We live in a go, go, go society of rushing to get through our huge list of to do’s. Life can easily become a checklist of getting through that to-do list. It becomes about just making it through each day and looking forward to the weekends. There’s nothing wrong with looking forward to the weekend, but going through each day mindlessly checking off our task list doesn’t give us any opportunity to live in each moment. It doesn’t allow us to take the time to pause and take in the joys all around us, the joy of our loved ones and the joys of each day.
It’s even harder when we are type A personalities
I, myself, am definitely guilty of that. I’ve had to stop myself many times when I was blindly getting tasks done and losing my patience. I’m a Capricorn, so striving for perfection and getting everything I set out to do completed – when I say I will get it done – is important to me.
Multi-tasking has always come naturally to me – it’s my personality to want to get it all done. I normally have multiple tasks and projects on the go at the same time. I thrive on it. However, there’s a limit as we have so many hours in the day and our to-do lists are always never ending and things are always piling up. Now add to that, having kids to manage – especially when they are high maintenance, things become astronomically harder to manage.
Effectively managing our time while still making sure we have enough me-time is more important than ever before. I share below, 5 time management tips every busy mom needs to know!
1) Keep track of things that need to be completed, on your to-do list
I like to write my to-do list down and keep it on the fridge where I can see it every day. As I work through things, I cross them off, and things continue to get added as they come up. If there is a deadline, make note of the date. This list is separate from appointments – those I keep on a separate calendar.
Create different types of lists
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- One is a true errand list of things on the go that need to be completed over the course of the week. Ie: go to the grocery store, drop items off at the neighbours etc.
- Another is the list of things that need to get done, that you may forget as it isn’t done every single day. For example, I may not cook everyday, but the days I am cooking, I will note it on the list so I will remember. If I don’t, and other things pop up, it’s so easy to say okay I’ll do it tomorrow, we can get take out tonight. Then, we keep putting things off
No matter how small the item may seem, add it to the list. It may seem like simple tasks can be committed to memory. However, no matter how small the task is, it is never a good idea as we will inadvertently end up forgetting some
Assign timelines for each task and rank them based on importance
There will be tasks that must be completed right away, while others are nice to get completed sooner rather than later, but they aren’t as urgent. Those items can be given a longer timeline to get done
Get through the easy or quick items first
For those tasks that are easy to get done and can be plowed through quickly – I make a point to get through a bunch of them at the beginning of my day, or at the beginning of the week. Getting through these tasks quickly allows me to feel like I accomplished something. Usually, once I’m on that roll, I can get through more tasks that day that I may not have otherwise done
- Get these done while your child is playing, eating or napping. If they are not the independent type, keep them close. I will give my 1 year old Rivaan, some household items such as pots, pans and spatula’s and sit him on the kitchen floor while I do the dishes and tidy things up. For younger children, placing them in a rocker or playmat close by, or wearing them in a baby carrier will help
Once you master getting through your to-do list, you will be well on your way. I believe, that mastering this, is the most important of the time management tips every busy mom needs to know.
2) Make use of downtime
When the kids are busy playing, working on an activity, napping or eating, take advantage of those times. I know how easy it is to check your emails, text your friends or just mindlessly scroll through Instagram. I mean, it gives you a mental break and you don’t have to think. Kids are exhausting! I do that myself throughout the day in small time increments (quick check of a DM or text message, or a quick scroll, but I never spend more than 5-10 minutes online at any one time)
- If you are able to leverage this time to get things done, at least half of the time, then you will feel less overwhelmed later, as you cross things off your list
3) Limit Distractions
- Stick to the task at hand and minimize interruptions such as social media or going online
- Put away devices that will distract you, such as your phone. Or, put it on silent and focus on your task list
- If you have finished what you set out to do, and there is still some extra time and there isn’t something urgent to do, continue on your task list
4) Don’t be too hard on yourself
- If you don’t get through what you set out to do, and you honestly gave it your best effort, that’s okay! It’s a good start, you will get better at time management as you keep it up
- If you just need that mental break or can’t handle the workload, step away for a bit. Give yourself a mental break and you will come back refreshed. Remember, stick to small manageable chunks and get through the quick and easy items first!
Take a moment to practice mindfulness
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- Close your eyes and sit in a relaxing position
- Focus on your breath. Breath in slowly through your nose and out through your mouth
- Calm your mind. Think about your breath and imagine it flowing through all areas of your body. It starts from your lungs, then flows to your arms, to your fingers, and up and around to each part of your body. You can imagine it being a light that is flowing through you
- If thoughts come into your mind, let them. Just try not to focus on them and get distracted from your calming exercise
5) Schedule ‘me time’ for yourself during the week
- Make sure you actually mark this onto that to-do list. If you don’t, then it will get de-prioritized and likely won’t happen
- Put it in as often as you need it, whether that be a little something daily, or, something bigger weekly. This is key to balancing work and life and keeping sane. You need to feel appreciated to give your all to those around you. Don’t wait for someone else to show you appreciation, schedule that time for yourself!
- Do what you love. Whether it be going for a long walk, taking a bubble bath, taking a drive, going on date night, reading that book you have been meaning to get to or getting a manicure
- Schedule these in for times where you can have a few moments away from the kids. Sometimes this can be during the commute to/from work. Meditation and reading on public transit are great! Other times it will be when your spouse is done work. Try to get this time in when you are physically away from the kids. Not when they are doing a quick activity because your time will get cut short when they come looking for you!
You’ll get the hang of it!
Once you get the hang of time management, you will start to find that getting through your to-do list, will become second nature. You will start getting through items quicker and feel better knowing things are getting done. This will start to free up your time a bit and you will have time for rest and relaxation, or more time with those kids 🙂 I hope these time management tips every busy mom needs to know has helped!
It’s always a good idea to make sure you are taking care of your overall health and wellness, so you can give your 100% to your children. Check out my blog post on 7 strategies to naturally boost your immune system.
What do you do for time management? Do you schedule time for yourself on a consistent basis? What tips do you have for other hardworking mom’s? Let me know in the comments below!