Mothers are role models for so many individuals when it comes to balancing their family lives with their professional careers. They make balancing child care, deadlines, and many other responsibilities seem easy. However, it’s more challenging to do in reality. If you struggle at multi-tasking or are still learning the ropes on how to succeed in both areas of your life, it truly is easier said than done. It can be easy to pour all your energy into just one aspect and quickly let yourself and others down in another.
Being a mother also entails putting your family’s needs first, which can lead to many mothers and even career women, in general, neglecting to take care of themselves. You’re the best mother and professional when you’re healthy and happy. Here are just some other aspects to focus on to achieve a balanced lifestyle as a mother and career woman:
Managing your time
Balancing two aspects of your life is all a matter of time management. You can’t be a good mom if you’re constantly overworked, tired, and distracted all the time, leaving little to no time for meaningful moments with your kids or productive days for your job. When you manage your time accordingly, whether it’s by planning your days out first or sticking to a particular timeline, it’s easier to balance both your career and family simultaneously.
Time management also entails a lot of focus and commitment to your tasks, timelines, and deadlines. Even if you plan out your tasks ahead of time, if you constantly give in to the distractions around you, you’ll quickly find yourself falling behind. Focusing on clear goals and objectives during your working hours and being present when spending time with your family will help you feel more fulfilled in both aspects of your life.
One great trick to effective time management is blocking off your time for work and home tasks. Scheduling your time to interchange between time with your family and work can lead to blurred timelines. Scheduling your morning for work and your evenings for your kids will help with your overall focus and concentration.
Separating work and play
Like what we’ve mentioned on time management, you can’t fit work and play into one time frame. If you’re working, you can’t also be having your leisure time. It’s important to set firm boundaries for yourself in this scenario and actually stick to them. For instance, if one of your boundaries is not to work past your standard work hours, you have to follow through.
Don’t feel guilty or bad about setting boundaries, as it’s necessary to balance your career and family, especially as a mom. Making the intention to separate these two aspects can encourage you to have a work-life balance, which is vital to perform well in your career and still have adequate time for your family.
Manage your finances well
Your finances also play a major role in balancing your career along with your family. Many families will find that working those extra hours in the office may pay off financially. However, missing out on those major moments with your children is a steeper price to pay. Managing your finances by budgeting accordingly, avoiding debt, and planning out major expenses helps you save more and provides you with the financial stability you need to take time off to be with your kids.
Making smart investments is another great way to start making your money work for you and free up your time. The stock market, insurance investments, foreign exchange, and business venture investments are just some of the many ways you can invest your money. When it comes to investments, it’s also important to consider your risk appetite, as some investments, like banking instruments, are stable but offer small returns, while higher-risk markets like stocks or capital investments provide higher returns on your investments.
Prioritize your overall health and well-being
Maintaining your overall health and well-being is even more crucial as a mom. When you’re a healthy and happy mom, you’re also bound to be a good mom to your kids. In contrast, when you’re constantly stressed and frustrated, your entire family also gets affected, and you won’t be able to balance both your career and family life in the process. It can be helpful to engage in therapeutic activities such as exercise, journaling, meditation, or basically any activities that you find beneficial for your physical and mental health.
This is a personal approach, and one activity that works for someone else might not work for you. It’s crucial as a mom that you do find a routine that helps you stay centered and balanced, even when you’re stressed out with trying to balance everything simultaneously.
Remember that motherhood and the professional world are both arenas for constant learning and change. There’s no one sure to do things as so many factors influence your needs in both aspects of your life. The best way to move forward is with a clear and level head that’ll help you make the right decisions no matter what comes your way. Your family plays a major role, but so does your need for an individual passion or pursuit.
