Mom’s can’t catch a break sometimes it seems. From breakfast, lunch, dinner, work, laundry, plays, studying and field trips, you name it and mom is helping out and giving her all. As much as you may give as a mom and genuinely enjoy every second, your workload can eventually drain you mentally and physically. 

Over the past few months, I had the opportunity to work with some busy moms. Some married and some single, but all busy juggling multiple roles at work and at home. During our time together I helped them reevaluate and focus on a few key everyday things they could do to help get just as much done, without adding any extra stress to their routine. 

1. Turn Your Home Into Your Gym

One of the best ways to de-stress and find balance for many people is the gym. As a mom, you may not have the luxury of time to travel to the gym, get a workout without feel pressured and drive back home. I worked with two moms who love fitness and the intensity it brings into their lives. One loved yoga and the other was an avid runner. For the yoga mom I suggested she simply use her yoga mat at home for the days she wasn’t able to take class. Whether she purchased some DVD’s or used YouTube channels, she was guaranteed to find a great workout. For the mom who loved to run, I suggested investing in a treadmill. The treadmill would let her train as much as she needed, and allow her to still be part of any conversations going on at home. Depending on your space, add some weights and a yoga mat to your home and keep the gym there.

2. Avoid multi-tasking

Multi-tasking used to be a skill to be proud of. It’s great for all the other people we have to complete work for but research shows that it may be damaging to our critical thinking since we no longer focus on individual topics. I asked all the moms to make a list of their regular tasks: laundry, helping kids study, answering work emails, cooking dinner, preparing lunch for tomorrow and finding personal time were just some. It’s emotionally and mentally draining to try do so many tasks in such a small timeframe. Through conversations with the moms, I suggested focusing on one task at a time. One mom had regular work emails coming no matter the time of day. I asked her how she imagined her son felt expecting her to help him with homework, but having her constantly check her phone throughout. Helping your kids with their homework is a part of bonding and putting aside the time to focus solely on them means the world to them. We agreed that the world wouldn’t end if she didn’t respond to emails immediately. Two months later, her work flow is consistent but her relationship with her son has become stronger. 

3. Make time for yourself

Sometimes you just need to get away for a little bit. It doesn’t need to be a vacation, just a few hours during the week where everyone knows this designated time is for mom. Every mom I spoke to didn’t think it would possible. They had a desire to be part of what was always going on. And although there’s nothing wrong with that, I suggested it was still important to have time for themselves. We agreed at the beginning of every week, they would talk with their kids and spouse about their schedules for the week. Whenever there was an open time slot, I suggested they all come to agreement that it would be mom’s personal time. Whether she sits out back and reads quietly or goes for a short drive, that timeframe was meant for her to relax and unwind. Out of all the moms who did it, every week they all found timeframes and every timeframe was respected by their family

4. Ask for Help When You Needed

Hiring me to help out showed that these moms were willing to get help. The challenge is sometimes asking for help from a spouse or your kids. Some of the moms enjoyed taking on the multiple roles even though it added on to their already large pile of work. Every task a mom told me she completed, I asked if it were possible for someone else to tackle. We discussed ways they could pass on responsibility to their spouse or children and free up time for them. In every case, everyone at home was willing to give a helping hand. People can’t help if they don’t know you need it, so making the extra effort to let your family know can have a huge impact. 

De-stressing is an important part of everyday life. Through more communication and prioritizing, all moms can find the time to get work done and still have time for themselves and their family.