With the craziness going on in today’s world, it is important to find methods to tackle work and all of the tasks that come along with motherhood. One of the things I’ve had to learn through working full time and growing my business is that I can’t pour from an empty cup.
I have felt it all. Happiness that comes from being with my family and impacting my clients lives positively. I have felt loneliness from trying to tackle every single task alone. That led to feeling overwhelmed, unhappy, not feeling good enough. But then I discovered there are ways to make motherhood and working from home a balanced experience.
I need structure, I need help but most importantly, I need to take care of myself so I don’t go insane!
Set working hours
Being able to look at your schedule and know when you’re going to work and what you’re going to work on is vital. Set work hours, whether you are working at your full time job or working on your business.
During those working hours, set a power hour to knock out the most important task(s). During that hour, know exactly what you’re going to work on. Whether it is following up with clients, writing a blog or responding to emails.
Delegate and ask for help
Hire a virtual assistant to tackle some of your to do list. Hire a cleaning service if you can afford it. Ask your spouse to help with cooking or to care for the kids while you have time to focus on your business. Ask your neighbors or friends to set up a play date so you can get your hair done. You would be surprised how willing people are to help you achieve your goals.
Self care
Think about what you would say to a loved one who feels stressed. Would you tell them they need to continue to be hard on themselves or would you tell them they need to take a deep breath and find things that can make them feel better?
That’s right, I said it! You need to take care of yourself. Mentally. Physically. Emotionally. Whether that means taking a bath. Reading a book. Personal development. Exercising. Find something that makes you feel good inside. You need to relieve the stress and overwhelm that comes with something that seems so daunting. You can’t pour from an empty cup.
For me, my self care comes in the form of gardening and exercise. I also enjoy reading personal development books. All forms of personal development help you grow and it’s very possible that you will learn a new skill to help you perform at your best – not only in your personal life, but also in your professional career.
Practice daily gratitude
One way to change the outlook of your life is to focus on the positive. You can buy a daily gratitude journal online or even use a plain notebook. Every evening, write down what you are grateful for and how you felt throughout the day.
Recharge your batteries
It’s true when they say that introverts need alone time to recharge and extroverts need to see others to recharge. As soon as you know what type of space you need in order to recharge and feel at peace again, you need to honor that and follow what your personality needs.
Introverts can lay in bed and read a book or watch a movie. Hell, even lay in bed and let the room be quiet and still so you can become grounded and aligned with what makes you happy.
As an extrovert, if you can’t go out to a restaurant with your friends due to guidelines set during the pandemic, schedule a zoom happy hour! Bring your own drinks and catch up with your friends!
It’s important to set these tips up in a way that works for you and your family. You can only stretch yourself so thin before everything becomes too much. You can only take care of others when you learn to take care of yourself.
