How to manage your time and workload as a busy working mom

I was 3 months post partum when I went back to work as a middle school teacher. The workload at my job was enough to keep me busy day and night, aside from the obvious and newly added assignment of being a new mother. I was exhausted. I could not even fathom how I was supposed to manage it all; take care of my child and husband, cook meals, do a good job at work, or even relax and do things I wanted to do. 

There were days that I got home from work and cried as I put my baby to bed, because on top of all the postpartum hormones, I felt like a failure as a mom and a teacher. I just held him and thought “I’ve barely gotten to spend any quality time with him today”, after spending the day working, and then coming home to tackle the ever growing list of to-dos. 

I’ll be honest, it took me a while to figure out ways to make it all work, and truthfully, I’m definitely still learning. But I think I have a lot of things to share now about how I make this work for my family, and how being a working mom doesn’t have to be as daunting as you think. It’s all about time management. Here are my top 5 time management hacks that helped me regain a sense of order and peace. 

 

1. Delegate anything that doesn’t require your personality. 

A good friend of mine shared this advice with me shortly after I became a mom, and it saved me. There are lots of things on your to-do list as a mom. But they don’t all have to be done by you. 

Look at your daily/weekly tasks and decide what you have to do, and what someone else could easily do. 

For example, I have to nurse the baby, but my husband can do the dishes, or pack the diaper bag for daycare the next day. My mother in-law has even offered to make baby food for my baby. This takes a huge load off of me. I am so blessed to have a partner and family that can help me, as I know many moms do not. 

If you have people in your life who can do things for you and offer to help, Take. Them. up. On. it. That is all. 

 

2. The Timer Strategy

When I first had my baby, I was so upset that I couldn’t keep my house clean and didn’t have the time to keep it as orderly and neat as I would have liked.(I know right, priorities.)  I quickly realized that a perfectly tidy home and being a career mom did not mix. I came up with an idea that I would set a timer for a select amount of time (could be 15 minutes, or 20, or 30, however much time you have), and I would race against the clock to clean for that amount of time. After the timer went off, whatever didn’t get done would have to wait until tomorrow. 

As a teacher, I use timers at work daily, so I purchased this set of cube timers from Amazon. I LOVE them. They are inexpensive and easy to use. 

Knowing that I will be done after the timer goes off keeps me focused during the whole 15-30 minutes for cleaning. 

Also, because of the time limit, it really makes me think about what absolutely has to be done right now, and what really can wait until tomorrow. Which brings me to my next tip. 

 

3. Prioritize your tasks

Prioritizing your tasks to see what needs to be done at what time can really help you feel less overwhelmed. Here are few ways I recommend doing this:

• • Brain dump everything you have to do into a generic task list. Then organize from there.
  • If you have tasks that repeat every day, create a routine that includes those tasks. I myself have a night routine and a morning routine that help make sure everything gets done. 

4. Meal prep

I don’t know about you, but the thought of cooking after a long day at work stresses me out a little bit. Prepping meals ahead of time has completely changed the game for me! I usually do this on Sunday afternoons. I prepare a couple of meals that can be cooked quickly, or I throw a meal into the Instant Pot and portion it out into containers to have either at work or when I come home from work. Having food be ready when you get home is probably one of the most glorious things to experience on this side of heaven (#notdramatic). 

If you need ideas for meal prep, check out my meal prep board on Pinterest!

5. Leave Work at work. 

This one is easier said than done. But it is probably one of the most important. Many people have high stress jobs that carry over into their home life. Being a mom is hard work, and though it is not your identity, neither is your job. It is certainly important, and one of the ways you are helping to provide for your family. But it doesn’t define you, and stressing about it at home will rob you of the joy of being with your family. 

Even if you can physically leave your work at work, it can be so hard to do mentally as well. Remember that your first priority is taking care of your precious family, and that though your work needs you, your family needs you more. It is ok to do your best and leave the rest (at work). 

What are your go to strategies for time management? Leave a comment and let me know what works for you! Moms gotta stick together.

You got this, mama. XOXO – Marissa