How do you manage it all as a busy, working mom?
How do you manage it all as a busy, working mom?
Hey there, beautiful mama!
I know exactly how you’re feeling! I use to live day by day hustling & living by my giant to-do lists! Never having a second to myself and feeling guilty if I even took some time to play with my kids – always thinking to myself “I could be getting so much done right now!” And then rushing my kids off and saying “Mommy’s too busy!”
Only upsetting the people that matter most.
Heartbreaking, right?! I started to question, is this the way life “should” be? I wanted to FEEL more present. Instead, my mind would always be racing on to the next thing I needed to get done. This went on for years. Until, one day I was walking down the grocery aisle of one of my favourite health food stores and I felt SO dizzy that I was about to collapse. I had no idea what was happening, as I never felt like that before. So I hurried home, thinking I’ll just take a nap, sleep it off and hopefully it’ll go away by the morning. Well, the next day came and I felt worse. I took my son to school and as I was taking off his winter jacket, my vision was so blurry. I felt very disconnected from my surroundings – almost as if I was in a dream. I was terrified. What was happening to me? What I have come to realize is that all those symptoms were from anxiety. And it took me years to figure out that it was because I was out of alignment.
When you focus solely on one area of your life (in my case, career), other areas of your life suffer – health, relationships & joy to name a few! And life starts to feel very chaotic.
So HOW did I get back on track to feeling like myself again?
Through trial and error. Journaling. Seeking expert advice from many coaches, healers & naturopaths. I have several strategies that have helped turn things around for me, but here are my top 3 tips that have been life changing:
1. Listened to my HEART:
Sounds simple, right?! It is. But I was making all the decisions from my head (instead of my heart) and my soul wasn’t happy. This is very common. Your soul can only allow you to keep doing something for so long – until the symptoms get louder and louder! You start losing the core of who you really are & when you do that, emotional and physical stress will accumulate and take a toll. So evaluate every area of your life to see where you may be out of alignment and how you could eliminate anything that doesn’t feel good. Some decisions will be easier then others, but let your gut lead the way.
2. Scheduling work AND play:
I dropped the need for feeling like I always “had” to get stuff done. And I switched my focus to scheduling FUN being just as much of a priority, as career! I noticed that when I first started practicing this, I felt SO good. My kids noticed. I developed a way closer bond because I was more present! They felt more connected to me and I to them! And this made me happier! Being present is so key in developing healthy & happy relationships! So go ahead and do that yoga class. Go for a walk to break up your work day. Take those salsa lessons. Whatever makes your heart sing, do MORE of that. You’ll be much more productive and happier in the long run.
3. Boundaries:
This means being a mom FIRST! As an entrepreneur, I don’t have set hours so I can sometimes get sucked into feeling like I have to answer every call, text or email. But then you don’t have a life. I now carve out set hours for my work and I am firm. When work is done for the day, it’s DONE. I don’t work a minute longer. So I started saying NO. Be consciously aware of how you’re spending your time. Write one thing down that you can de-commit from. Turn off your phone if you need to. Be there NOW. Nothing else matters. Time goes on. Your work will always be there and it will also never end. So you may as well enjoy the moment.
Your turn: Do you ever struggle with trying to manage it all? Which tips will you try to improve your work/life balance? Let me know in the comments below!
To health + happiness,
Deborah Xo
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Hey Deborah,
I agree completely with you! I myself have struggled with wanting to do it all and in the end not being happy because I’m not really doing what I want and enjoy. Having 3 kids has definitely changed me…and as they grow I continue to change.
Ultimately what has worked for me and has made me a happier person is putting myself first sometimes and taking time for myself to read a book or go to the gym. It’s all about balance. My goal is to be the best version of myself and above all healthy to enjoy my family. Thanks for sharing!!
Xo
Good for you for taking that time for you, Diana!! Sometimes we think we’ll get ‘more’ done if we just squeeze every last ‘to-do’ item in – but it actually works against us! But i’ve seen such a shift in you (health wise + lifestyle), it’s so inspiring & makes me happy!! Keep it up, chickie! Xo