Lately I feel like I am stretched thin in all directions–juggling too many commitments, and having major time management issues. I have had to do some soul searching to decide what I want to keep in my life and what must go during this season of my kids being little. As I was contemplating how I can get more done in less time, I connected with another blogger with whom I have a lot in common–she is a mama of three and also values getting kids out into nature to grow them into kind humans. So when she offered to write a piece about time management for moms for Cowgirlboots and Running Shoes, I said a quick YES!!
Zara Lewis is also a designer and regular contributor to highstylife.com, and is devoted to implementing healthy life habits in every aspect of her family and friends. She, like me, enjoys the outdoors, yoga, and cooking. I hope you enjoy her words as much as I did!
Mothers are definitely multitasking magicians. If you take into consideration the amount of work they manage to get done, from an outer perspective – it seems as if their days have at least 48h. However, from a mom’s point of view, it’s like running on a never-ending treadmill. Struggling with exhaustion is real, and so is the lack of time for self-care and sleep. It’s really a burning issue giving the fact mothers suffer through a lot of pressure to be perfect – a pressure imposed both by the society and the media and by the mothers themselves. This results in mommy guilt and can truly wreck one’s mental balance. In addition to asking for help from your spouse and family, you can consider taking a different approach towards managing your time. Here are some of the ideas on how you can to that.
Thinking outside of the box: nutrition and sleep
If you’re having problems being efficient and getting things done, you may want to consider your health habits and current health condition. Poor nutrition can leave our bodies tired, so consider freshening up your diet with some energy boosting food. Having enough shut-eye is mandatory for healthy functioning: make sure to get your 8-hours of sleep. Try getting to bed half an hour before your usual
bedtime and wake up about 15 minutes earlier. You’ll notice how this simple change made a significant shift and enabled you to be more focused and prepared to seize the day.
Getting from A to B + toning your body
Going to a grocery shop or heading out to work can be more than just a boring trip. Leave your car in the garage and use this time to get some physical activity. Cycling is a great way to achieve that and it has other perks, too: no need to waste your time stuck in traffic lines, no need to spin in circles searching for a parking place, plus – you’re eco-conscious while getting some time alone. If you’re worried you’ll get too tired to ride your way home, consider the benefits of electric bikes: they function mostly the same way as the regular bicycles, with one major exception. Electric motor gives you an opportunity to turn it on whenever you feel like it and the power will assist your pedaling. Speaking from personal experience, this feature is really helpful in uphill areas and it can even be used as part of your HIIT training: for the cool-down periods, simply turn the motor on and catch your breath until the next super intense interval.
Keep it organized and prioritize
While this might not sound as a revolutionary advice, many moms fail to write things down. Don’t keep mental notes of the tasks that need to be done, it’s bad for several reasons: firstly, you can bet you’ll forget something; secondly, when things are stuck in our heads, we can feel overwhelmed with work when in fact – there’s just a few things waiting to be taken cared of; thirdly, you won’t be able to focus on whatever you’re doing at the moment, so you’ll be all over the place. Use a paper and a pen to get a clear structure of your day. If you want, you can use weekends to make weekly schedules. Hang a giant calendar with every task written down (PTA meetings, chore days, guests visiting, etc.) so that other members of the family can also contribute.
Learn to say no
Although it’s really nice of you to want to please everyone and be there for them, you have to learn to set some boundaries. There are many benefits of saying no, but here the top three: you’ll have more time to yourself, you’ll feel more confident and in control, and you’ll save your precious energy.
Mothers truly are superheroes. But sometimes, they need a bit of help, even if it’s to dust off the dirt from their capes. These tips can honestly help you to make the best of the 24 hours you have, balancing your personal needs, your family needs, your career and other tasks.
You can follow Zara on Twitter: @ZaraELewis .
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