This is how exactly you can manage your time as a busy mom. Use these tips to get time back & dramatically reduce overwhelm so you can get it all done:
- Delegate
- Prioritize
- Prepare Ahead
- Eliminate distraction
Why this works
We all have the same 24 hours in the day. But time feels so much less for when you are a busy mom who have so much to do and get done.
If you are a parent of kids under 6, especially a mom, taking care of a young kid could be a full-time job. Not to mention if you have multiple and have a career outside the house. It is a struggle! You are so focused on their well-being that taking care of yourself, your home, & your passions has to wait.
“A balanced life that gives you space for time for your personal needs is more important.“
If you simply forget to brush your teeth or eat a meal due to parenting tasks, you need a long-term self-care habit plan. But first, you need to find the time.
My Quick Story
I have been working on my habits gradually for the past 10 years. I am now a stay-at-home mom of two kids under 3 who wakes up at 5:30 am regularly. I finally have time to think about how to simplify and test out methods in order to simplify my life regardless of the constant changes that come along daily. Here are how I figure out how to find more time for myself and my passions.
How exactly do you balance & manage time as a busy mom?
1. Delegate
Give tasks to others. This could mean anything from daycare for kids for 8 hours per day to tell your spouse to make dinner for the night while you take a shower. Humans are social creatures regardless of how little of it you might need at times. Offloading tasks is a great way to free up a lot of time.
Here are a few ways you can delegate effectively.
- In-house help: Delegate house tasks and child care to your spouse (if you have one) so you can get an hour to yourself. Do this 1-6 times per week and that easily becomes 1-6 hours per week to relax. Since having young kids causes so much disorder and disturbs your routine, creating a regular/fixed time with your partner will give you a sense of control you desperately need.
- Free help: friends and family who can babysit will be very helpful. They will enjoy playing with little ones for a short period of time. And will gain a true appreciation for how you can be a parent 24/7 (put respect on your situation).
- Paid help: When I was growing up in Ethiopia, there was always paid help around. Most of my cousins now have it as well for cooking and cleaning. As I grew up in America, I noticed a more complicated relationship with domestic workers maybe because of slavery & individualism. But there is no shame in it. Pay for daycare so you can get work done. Pay for delivery of groceries so you don’t go out shopping. Pay for a house cleaner to do the deep cleaning you don’t have the energy for. Or call the laundry service to wash & fold your clothes. If you have the money, use it to make your life easier.
2. Prioritize
The 80/20 rule states that 80% of our actions produce 20% of success. You might be doing the most for no reason. So make a moment every day & week to think about what worked and what isn’t serving you. This regular auditing of your time will help you eliminate what is unnecessary and free up a lot of time.
Here are a few examples:
- A job that is not paying enough but requires more of your time and energy. Try to find a new job, take classes to improve your skills, or leave it (if you have enough savings) to try a different path.
- Make time in the morning to take care of your body, mind, and soul. This will give you more willpower to tackle the day’s challenges.
3. Prepare Ahead
Fail to plan, plan to fail. It is true! The 80/20 rule applies here too. 80% of success comes from 20% of time spent planning. Stay away from jumping into tasks just because they have to get done. Take a moment to step back and notice if there are ways you can categorize tasks so you won’t have to split your attention multiple times like going to multiple rooms when you are getting ready in the morning. That is a major waste of energy (and time).
To help you on this journey, take this instant access FREE MASTERCLASS to learn how to reduce burnout and stress by over 50% using habit systems. You will find well researched and practical solutions to live a more balanced and fulfilling life.
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Or learn about habit systems in depth online course & learn how you can see massive transformation in 30 days, finally have a sense of control over your busy life, and tackle your daily tasks faster & easier
4. Eliminate distractions
Studies show that we pick up our phones and accidentally scroll on social media way too much. What this does is interrupt your flow whenever you are doing a task. For example, imagine you are trying to clean your house. You pick up your phone for organization tips. Then you find yourself sitting down and scrolling on Tiktok. Then you get a call from your friend and have to stay close to the phone so they can hear you. Cleaning is not going to get done with one hand on the phone or divided attention.
Our devices suck up a lot of our time. Just removing it from your view could help free up so much time you didn’t even know you had.
Conclusion
Remember these four things when you feel like you don’t have time and you will feel like a weight has been lifted. You can have plenty of time, you just have to know how to find it and keep it.
