Busy moms have trouble finding even a moment of sanity in their packed schedules. Sometimes, this forces them to wonder how they can keep going like this. Is it sustainable to live life at full speed for endless decades?
The answer is “no.” It’s vital to your health and that of your children and your partner to develop better time management skills. This doesn’t mean getting more done in less time, although you may find that this happens when you adopt some of the following tips.
Good time management has a multi-faceted purpose. It means giving yourself more “me” time so that you can be there for work and your family. It means living with less stress. It also means feeling like your schedule is manageable. You may even start to feel like an organizational guru.
The next time you feel overwhelmed by your responsibilities, try these strategies.
1. Get Adequate Sleep
Being more productive and organized is built on a solid foundation of quality sleep. When you’re sleep-deprived, your thinking is fuzzy and you’re irritable. Chances are good that you won’t be as productive or sharp as you could be with a good night’s sleep.
Establishing a sleep schedule is the first step toward getting great rest every night. Set a bedtime, and stick to it. Make certain that your kids do the same as it will be just as beneficial for them.
Figure out what relaxes you and prepares you for getting into sleep mode. You might do some stretching, take a bath, drink a soothing cup of tea or read a book. Follow this routine often enough and it will begin to signal to your brain and body that it’s time to sleep.
If you have chronic problems getting to sleep or staying asleep, consult with your doctor.
2. Use a Planner
Maybe a handwritten planner seems old fashioned by today’s standards, but scientific evidence demonstrates the value of writing things down for improving memory and setting intentions.
Planners for moms range from bullet journals to dated or undated planners. If you aren’t familiar with using a planner, then get ready for some culture shock.
However, you can also prepare yourself to be on top of your schedule like never before. The chances of you forgetting a doctor’s appointment or your kid’s soccer game have just gone down precipitously. Get a planner and use it on a daily, weekly and monthly basis. Before long, you’ll feel like you’ve taken control of your time.
3. Set a Routine
When you establish a routine for certain things, then you can accomplish them almost automatically. You can set a routine for just about anything. It could include making meal plans, setting a cleaning schedule, deciding when to exercise and scheduling time to take care of yourself.
This means that you don’t have to invent the wheel every day or week. You won’t have to worry about what to make for dinner because you have a plan for that. There’s no need to wonder when the kitchen floor was last mopped because you know that it was done on Wednesday.
It’s also valuable to set a routine for those busy weekday mornings and evenings. Before going to bed each night, everyone in the house should make certain that they are ready for the next day. That means getting out an outfit, finishing all homework, putting together lunches and getting everything packed up to be grabbed in the morning. This should smooth out hectic mornings because no one will be wondering where their shoes are or what happened to last night’s math assignment.
To help establish your routine, rely on your trusty planner.
4. Do One Task at a Time
This mindfulness technique is valuable for time-crunched moms. Instead of doing a small amount of several different things all at once, choose just one thing to focus on at a time. You’ll find that your work is more accurate, and your satisfaction with a job well done will increase.
When you focus on one thing at a time, you’ll be giving it your full attention. That includes teaching your kids a new skill, connecting with your partner and getting that big project done at work. Letting go of multitasking means giving everything that you do your absolute best effort.
5. Embrace the Power of No
Women, in general, tend to have difficulty saying no. However, there’s no rule that says you have to be involved in every committee at your child’s school, attend every PTA meeting, always pick up the slack at the office when someone else is sick or host yet another party for your kid’s ballet class.
When you assert yourself by occasionally turning down a new “to do,” you’re freeing up your time to use as you wish. Whether that means some valuable me time or connecting with your best friend is entirely up to you.
6. Organize Your Space
How much time do you waste each day trying to locate items? It happens at home and at work. Excess clutter makes it impossible for you to reach peak productivity, let alone have some downtime.
The same is true when you simply own too much stuff. Cluttered rooms leave you feeling vaguely uneasy and stressed. You constantly feel like you “should” get rid of that pile of papers, clean out that drawer or go through that closet.
Sit down with your planner and for the next few weeks, set aside a little time each week to tackle those projects. It takes time now, but if you can stick to your resolve to be more organized and less cluttered, you’ll find that you have more time for you and your family because you’ll be spending less time managing your stuff.
Moms have a lot of hats to wear, and that means that they are smart to look for ways to better manage their time. Use these tips to start feeling more in control, less stressed and much more organized
I’m a 20-something stay-at-home mother and wife. I have an amazing husband, a beautiful daughter, two loving dogs, and a lazy cat. I wouldn’t change my life for anything! I love to read, listen to music, cook and blog!
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