6 Steps to Work-Life Balance as a Working Mom

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6 years ago

With school back in session, I’m starting to get a little anxious about how I’m going to fit in all the new activities that come with a new school year. On top of simply getting out of the house in the morning, there is soccer, basketball, girl scouts, classroom volunteering, field trips, school fundraisers, etc etc etc. And, it would be nice to go do a few things for myself besides work and school. So, it begs the question: is it possible to have work-life balance as a working mom?

In short, the answer is “yes.” That said, I think there are a few things to be aware of to prepare yourself for the challenge of managing your work-life balance:

Mrs. Type A’s 6 steps to work-life balance as a working mom:

1. Be realistic

Work-life balance is not a magical nirvana. Yes, having balance in your life helps you ensure you are dedicating time the way you want (or need) between your work, your family, and yourself. But, it’s about making trade offs (i.e., an extra hour at gym vs. a happy hour with co-workers). There is a finite number of hours in a day and, as such, you do need to actively decide how to allocate those hours.

It can take a LOT of work to achieve balance. Honestly, it causes me a lot of stress trying to fit everything in; I can get so tightly scheduled that sometimes I’m convinced achieving work-life balance is actually harder than not having it. Ironic, I know!

I’m not saying do not try to balance it all…I’m just saying please have realistic expectations for what it means.

2. Define what work-life balance means (what are your goals?)

You will increase your chance at achieving work-life balance if you clearly define goals. Without clear goals you are setting yourself up for failure because you won’t have any criteria to make decisions. Should you leave to work out or go to happy hour with co-workers? Not sure? Well, if you haven’t decided on any fitness goals or work goals, then it’s hard to decide.

See here for some sample goals and how I work towards them.

3. Schedule the time

Treat personal commitments much like work commitments and schedule them on calendar (including commuting time). For example, if you are volunteering in your child’s classroom, be sure to block that time and the time it takes to drive there (and back). Also, if you need to make cupcakes for that event, then schedule that the night before. (This approach is also helpful when making time for working out).

As a side note, I also suggest scheduling…well…everything. I live and die by my schedule. I have a master to-do list and I rotate activities at the start of every month / quarter / year. Also, there are a few things that I focus on at the start of the school year to prepare.

Being a master scheduler has helped me greatly in terms of staying sane. If you’d like a free planner……

Are you a stressed out working mom?

4. Plan for the unplanned

I also have carved out a standing block of time on my calendar on Friday mornings where I do not book work meetings. If something pops up — such as a need to go to the dentist, or have the handyman come over to fix the oven — then I know I already have a time slot for it on Friday. It helps if I don’t have to completely rearrange my life when something unplanned comes up. Certainly, if something is urgent, then it’s usually disruptive that day. But many things need to happen soon but not “right now” and this time slot is for those things.

No, I do not go to the gym during this time. Working out is a separate time on my calendar. I may go to the gym at that time, but only because I want to add another exercise session. The purpose of this time slot is to handle something unforeseen. Many times, I catch up on work email, but every few weeks I’m really thankful for having the open time (like last week when I had to take my car in).

5. Reassess periodically

Every so often, I take a step back to see if how I’m allocating my time is serving me. As my kids get older, my needs and wants relative to my personal life evolve. It helps to take a step back and ask:

Do I still have the same goals? Do the activities I prioritize line up best to those goals?

When my oldest was still under a year old, I made a point to go to all of the movement classes he had at his daycare. He loved the class and it was fun to see how his strength and capabilities would grow over the course of a week. So, on Mondays I would drop him off and work from the daycare site until his mid-morning movement class. When it was done, I would the go into the office.

Fast forward a few years and his physical capabilities have grown a lot. It’s no longer as much of a priority to participate in that type of activity with him anymore. Instead, I prefer to see how he interacts with his peers on the playground and learn who his friends are. So, I volunteer for recess duty. Anyway, my point is that my priorities — and therefore activities — have changed as he grows older, and it helps to take a step back every few months to see how I should change my focus.

6. Be kind to yourself

Achieving work-life balance can be an exhausting activity. Some weeks, I feel like I am just sailing through this working mom thing. In other weeks — when I have forgotten about pyjama day for example — I think that I’m just not cut out for being a working mom. It helps to remember that mistakes are inevitable and you’ll learn from them to get better at balancing it all.

The most important thing is that you love your family dearly and you’re trying your best to fulfill your personal and profession interests. You should appreciate that about yourself (I bet your family and employer do!).

I hope you enjoyed this guidance on how to achieve work-life balance. I’d like to hear your tips and tricks in the comments below.