Most women have no choice but to return to the workforce once their maternity leave has ended. Working mothers do have it a lot harder than working fathers, unfortunately, simply because the division of domestic labour remains unfairly stacked against mothers. This, coupled with feelings of guilt, can make it incredibly difficult to juggle your responsibilities. This is why we have come up with the following pieces of advice. Let’s dive in.
Work Out Your Priorities
Working out your priorities can actually help when it comes to scheduling. You need to think about which responsibilities or elements of your life you want to prioritise and ensure that you do so. These should be the things that you then take into account when scheduling. You can also refer back to the list whenever you feel overwhelmed or as if you are going off track.
Scheduling is Key
Making a schedule is one of the best things that you can do. It can really help to ensure that you are finding the right work/life balance. You can schedule your work tasks as well as ensuring that you have time for your other responsibilities. Building some flexibility into your schedule is important to ensure that you can accommodate any changes that need to be made.
Delegate If Needed
It can be incredibly tempting to think that you need to do everything yourself as a working mother; you don’t want to be seen as less than in any area. However, delegating is not an admission of defeat. It makes your life easier. Delegate tasks where possible. It can save you a lot of time and energy in the long run.
Caffeine Can Be Invaluable
If you find yourself consistently experiencing lags in energy, then you might want to consider how you can get a little more pep in your step. To this end, starting your day with some caffeine or sugar can really help to clear the cobwebs and get you going. With coffee-making machines – like the ones found on OnBuy – you can have your perfect cup every morning.
Remember to Take Some Time for Yourself
When you’re a working mother, it can be easy to find yourself focusing on your family or your job and somewhere along the way; you start to forget to care for yourself. However, you need to remember to take the time to look after yourself too. When you are caring for your own needs, you are in a far better position to care for others.
No is a Full Sentence
As a working mother and even as a woman, in general, it can be hard to say no at times. It can feel as though you are hardwired to continue to take things on simply because you don’t want to be an imposition or cause a fuss. However, you need to remember that ‘no’ is a full sentence. If you can’t or even don’t want to commit to something, you are totally allowed to say no without justifying your reasoning.
In Summary
Balancing your responsibilities in terms of your work and family lives can be incredibly difficult. It can be easy to find yourself being spread too thin. Remember to bear in mind the above tips. Delegating, setting priorities and refusing to take on any tasks that would take you away from those priorities is perfectly okay.