As a mother, you wear multiple hats at home. You are a nutritionist and chef who plans and prepares healthy meals for your family. You are the financial planner and analyst who budgets the finances of the household. You are a mediator who resolves conflicts inside your home. Most importantly, you are a mother who nurtures your children. These are just only a few of the roles that you take on because you are a mom.

Trying to fulfill all those responsibilities can be physically and mentally taxing. If you are not careful about how you manage your time and energy, you can get burned out.

Striking a balance of fulfilling your responsibilities at home, at work, and yourself is the key to keep you fulfilled and happy.

Here are Ten Tips for Moms on How to Achieve Balance in Your Life

1.     Set Aside Time for Yourself. 

red clock on grass

Mothers tend to neglect themselves while caring for other people and the home.  In the end, moms may feel drained and unhappy. 

That is why “me-time” is essential to all mothers. You can have your  “me-time” at any time of the day as long as you get the time to do things you enjoy. Once you start carving out time for yourself, you will begin to notice how much it improves your overall being.

Getting up an hour earlier than the rest of the household will give you a pocket of quiet time for yourself. You can use this time to prepare yourself for the day ahead mentally. You can opt to start journaling, reading a chapter of a book, or spend time on a passion project.

You can also do some physical activities like yoga, walking, or even gardening.  A daily dose of Vitamin D from the sun is a great way to stay healthy and positive.

Another option is to stay up a bit later than your family. You can use the time to drink hot chocolate or a glass of wine, relax in a bubble bath, or catch up on your Netflix series.

2.     Take Care of Your Body.

woman exercising

We cannot stress how important self-care is to mothers. If you feel guilty about making time and spending money to take care of your needs, you absolutely shouldn’t. 

Your physical and mental health is important for you to be able to carry out your day-to-day responsibilities with a joyful and positive outlook. Nourish your body with healthy and delicious food, engage in fun physical activities, and get enough sleep.

When you take care of your body, you will feel more energized to face the day that lies ahead. 

3.     Set up a Routine

daily routine plan

You will often find articles saying that toddlers thrive when they have a routine.  Guess what, it also goes for you, moms.

Routines provide security and predictability. When the family follows a specific routine, the day goes by more smoothly. Each family member knows what to expect during the day, and they can do their assigned tasks even without prompting.

If you have younger kids, set regular meal and sleeping time. Once they know the flow of the day, you avoid tantrums and meltdowns. When the kids get proper nutrition and enough sleep, you can expect them to be in a positive mood during the day.

If you have bigger kids, you can give them age-appropriate chores like making their bed, setting up the table, or even taking out the trash. When these chores become part of the routine, you don’t have to remind them every time, and the tasks come out naturally to them. 

4.     Setup A Schedule.

planner

Save time by organizing your schedule ahead of time. It can be as simple as assigning a day in a week to audit the pantry, clean the bathroom, or do the grocery. You can also use the weekend to do your meal preparation. When you have a fixed schedule, it is easier to manage your time, and you avoid situations like multiple runs to the grocery because you forgot something.

5.     Make a To-Do List.

to do list

Listing down your priorities and tasks for the day allows you to better plan the day.   You can add the apps on your phone or stick with paper and a pen. Choose whichever comes naturally to you. What is important is that you can do this consistently.

While creating the list, you can assess what tasks are urgent and low priority. When your priorities are clear to you, you can avoid stressing over little things.

By regularly updating the To-Do List, you can see how much you have done in a day. You can get a sense of accomplishment when you see tasks ticked-off. 

6.     Delegate Household Chores.

boy washing the plate

Household chores will always be part of your To-Do List, but you don’t have to do it all by yourself. You can delegate some of the tasks to your husband or your kids.  By allowing your family members to take part in the responsibilities, you get time to do other things, and you let them contribute to the household. As mentioned earlier, you can make this part of the routine of the family.

7.     Ask for Help.

holding hand

Even if you are a first-time or seasoned mom, you will feel overwhelmed or perhaps tired. Remember that it’s okay to ask for support so that you give yourself a breather. You can ask for help from your husband to cook dinner, or your parents to watch over the kids. You can also hire a babysitter or house to help ease up the list of your responsibilities.

8.     Learn to Say No.

stop sign

Your instinct is to help or please other people even it means you have to sacrifice something. However, know that you can say no to requests or additional work being given to you if the requests would take away your time to do the things that are important to you.

9.     Find Ways to Make Your Tasks Easier.

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We are privileged to have resources at our fingertips. Always be on the lookout for hacks and tips to make your life easier. For instance, you can research how to store produce properly, so it stays fresh longer, or how to prepare several meals at one time. Do not be afraid to learn more to increase your productivity at home or work.

10.  Don’t take yourself too seriously.

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Stress often comes from expecting too much from ourselves and letting other people’s opinions get to us. Do not be too difficult on yourself if you missed doing an item from your list or when you don’t meet other people’s expectations. Review your goals, focus on the tasks at hand, and learn to laugh at yourself. Even challenges become lighter when you use laughter to conquer it.

We at Tiny Steps want to say that you are doing a fantastic job juggling the different priorities you have at hand and that your family must be so proud of you. We hope that the tips will help you manage your responsibilities and bring more balance to your life.

Tiny Steps

We play, learn and grow with children.

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