Are you stressed trying to balance work and family? Find these ten simple tips that can help you manage your time more productively and give you peace of mind.
Have you ever felt lost and messed up after waking up in the morning? Going to work feeling completely drained off and not knowing how to balance your family all together. I have been there! When my daughter was born my life completely changed and once I got to back it was an altogether different struggle trying to maintain a balance.
Once I was back to work, there were many instances when I felt like things were slipping out of my hand. The house was in a constant state of mess, the mom guilt of not being able to spend enough time with my daughter was on the peak. I struggled to cope up with all the work in the office, I even struggled to get food on the table and my biggest was getting laundry done in time so that we could have fresh and clean clothes in the morning to get to work and the baby to school. I have been there and there are still times when I feel the same way.
Although looking at it today, I feel more in control of my time but after incorporating a few simple habits in my daily routine, I have been able to have a better balance in work and my personal life. Following these simple habits in my daily routine have helped me take control of situations, get things done, and most lately I have not been losing my mind trying to do it all.
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1. Wake up an hour early before everyone wakes up
The more I speak about how much this simple little habit has changed my life for the better is less. I wake up at 6:00 AM (an hour before my daughter) in the morning every day. This way I get to spend some quality time with myself in the morning when the house is quiet, prepare breakfast for everyone, get the house in order, write down my to-do tasks for the day in my diary and get ready for work before my daughter wakes up. This habit makes me feel very organized and, I get a sense of accomplishment that I was able to get some work done in the morning, and later I just spend my remaining morning cuddling and helping my daughter to get ready for school. It took me some time to get used to the idea of waking up at 6 AM in the morning and once I did get in the flow, I have never stopped.
2. Plan outfits for the next day a night before
I am sure many of you might find yourself in a similar boat like this when you are getting late for work and the child is getting cranky and you are not able to find clothes to wear. During my initial back to work months after my maternity leave, I would feel the same way. Now I have a small space in my laundry room where I keep our clothes ironed and neatly folded to wear to work and for my daughter to school the next day. Also, additional things like swimsuits or diapers for Mishika if the school has asked for it. I do this in the night before going to bed and it just takes me 5 minutes to put it all together and this has been such a life savior.
3. Plan weekly meals for the entire family for the week ahead on the weekend
Getting food on the table was my second biggest struggle after getting back to work. I am fortunate that I have a very understanding and co-operative husband who loves cooking for us. But still, even after his complete support, there were instances when I struggled with getting Mishika’s meal on the table. There were times when Mayank and I would get back from work and feel completely exhausted and not want to cook that day. That’s when after reading up a lot of planning tips on the internet and also taking some good advice from my fellow mommy friends around here, I got into the practice of writing down our's and Mishika’s meals along with the snacks on this whiteboard and sticking it to my fridge so that I can keep a track. This habit helps me stay organized and sometimes not get stressed out thinking about what to cook. I usually do this on Saturdays, so that we have enough time to shop for groceries on the weekend.
4. Put your phone away in the night before sleeping
This is so important to increase your productivity. I have a habit of aimlessly scrolling my Facebook and WhatsApp messages not keeping a track of the time. Sometimes, even after lying down in the night I would keep scrolling through my phone or watch videos on YouTube for hours. Recently I have made it a practice to keep my phone away at 10 PM in the night and not touch it after that. This has helped me go to sleep on time and hence start my next day on time feeling fresh with a sound sleep.
5. Make the mornings easier
‘Plan ahead' – that’s the key to balance mom and work life. Besides clothes, meals I would take a few minutes and just put everything out a night before that I need for the next day. It may be lunchboxes for the next day or your child’s diapers, sippy cups that the school has asked for, or maybe you have to be at a playdate or friends dinner the next day after work (put your outfits out a night before!). This might seem a lot, but it just takes me 5-10 minutes every day to plan my next day. I love using my small pocket diary (in red color) which I keep in my purse all the time, where I write down everything (to-do list, important family events, birthdays, etc., that helps me keep on track and stay organized).
6. Create a family calendar with all the important upcoming events
Such a great habit to incorporate. It helps me to identify and reflect on weekly priorities. I use this pretty calendar (from Amazon), where I jot down all the important things going around like upcoming birthdays, parties to go-to, important family vacations coming up (shopping to do for it), holidays, and a lot more. By writing down all these, I have been able to plan and get everything needed for the entire month. For example, if your child is invited to a birthday party, you can order the gift beforehand. Another tip is to order gifts in bulk for all the upcoming events that can save a lot of time, money and not make you feel insane by trying to run around at the last minute to get everything together.
7. Get to the gym for 30 minutes
I have been trying to do this a lot lately. Working out makes me feel good, positive, and happy and hence helps me be in a better frame of mind to handle everything around me and not feel overwhelmed. I have been lately trying to take out 30 minutes every day to workout.
8. Communicate openly to your manager
Having an open conversation with your manager after you are back to work can go a long way. Be fair to share your struggles with your boss so that you are in a better position to speak to him/her in case you need assistance/ favor with anything and the manager also does not feel like you are taking undue advantage of your situation.
9. Get a hobby or do anything you love
Having a good balance in your life is great but it all makes sense if you are happy. Just trying to do it all and getting everything done in a routine will make you feel worn out and unhappy. Make some time for yourself, think of it as self-care. Find a hobby for yourself that you like doing just for you. It may be simple things like gardening, getting a spa done, or in my case writing (anything that makes you happy!). You are all doing a lot of hard work and a great job multitasking home, child, and a lot more! You deserve to take some time for yourself. You owe it to yourself.
10. Let go of the guilt
Last and most important guys! Keep no guilt in your mind. I get it being a mom and being away from your child can make you feel very guilty. You might feel like you are missing a good time with them when they are so young and need you all the time. I have found myself feeling guilty many times in the past, sometimes leaving Mishika to go to work in the morning would break my heart, or I have found myself looking at my daughter’s pictures at work and tears just rolling down my cheek (because I miss her so much). But, it’s all good. I always like to look at all the positives in my life and the good things that my family and I have gained by me taking some time away from them. Let the guilt not creep up and rust your mind.
I hope this post helped. I have tried to share the very simple to-do habits that have been working great for me and helped me keep sanity in my chaotic and ever multi-tasking life. If there is something that has worked great for you that has helped you gain a better work-life balance, please share it with me in the comments below. I am always looking for ways on how to improve productivity and be able to spend more quality time with my family.
Excellent and outstanding article written by Rupal on subject matter . Each point is illustrated with deep knowledge of specific issues and is useful.
Really appreciate work .
With Best wishes
This is fantastic article Rupal.
Sailing on the same boat, being working mom I do experience all the challenges mentioned above, and now I will love to follow your simple 10 steps to make my life easy.
God bless you😘
Hey Rupal,
Taking out quality time in morning for your personal fitness schedule and household works is really nice idea for a mom.
Social media apps really ruin your quality time and hence it decrease productivity.
Better sleep at night is crucial to start a energetic morning and it helps you to stay healthy for prolong time.
Eventually, thanks for sharing your interesting experience with us.
With best wishes,
Amar Kumar