15 Tips For An Overwhelmed Working Mom To Feel Better

Being a working mom is hard. There is no getting away from the fact that it is tiring, it is messy and it is stressful.

At times it can even feel like you’re living a double life, part-time mommy part-time boss.

But in today’s society, there is no reason that a woman can’t have it all, a family life, a good career, and sound mental health.

Sometimes, during these busy periods in life, the simple things can be your saving grace.

So I have compiled a list of 15 ways for an overwhelmed working mom to feel better so hopefully, this can provide the perfect start to your simpler life. 

Make Time For You

As a working mom, it can be really hard to find time for yourself. Between the commute, work,  meetings, the school run, tea time, and bath time you can feel like there’s no time left for you.

The problem is that although life as a working mom can be incredibly hectic if you don’t find time for yourself, you will burn out which will have a major impact on your mental and physical health and also set you back a lot.

Making time for you doesn’t have to involve anything extravagant, simply popping to a friend for a coffee on your way from work or getting up 15 minutes earlier to go for a walk could be a fantastic start.

Plan, Plan and Plan Some More

If you’re feeling overwhelmed, one of the best things that you can do is plan forward and give yourself a solid and detailed structure to your day.

Having a plan means that you always know what’s coming next and that nothing gets missed.

A great way to do this could be by making an hour-by-hour timetable, you could even have a column for each family member so that you constantly know what’s going on and that all of the kids’ needs are being met.

This could also be a fun activity to get all of the family involved in as you could color code it and then stick it on the wall for all to see. 

Communicate

One of the biggest life hacks is communication. Communication is especially important when it comes to balancing family life and work life.

If you have a partner then sitting down and having a conversation with them can be a great place to start.

If you can communicate why you are feeling overwhelmed then your partner should be more than happy to share the burden with you. It is important to remember that a problem shared is a problem halved. 

Don’t Be Afraid To Ask For Help

Asking for help can be hard especially when it comes to parenting.

You might want to feel like you have it all under control and do not need any help but failing to reach out for help when you need it can have detrimental effects on you and your family.

Perhaps you have a parent or parent in law that you could call to ask to come and give you a hand with the house chores or maybe you could call a friend and ask her to watch the kids while you attend a work meeting. 

It doesn’t matter what you need help with, just that you don’t feel too proud to ask for it.  

Hire Help

Hiring help is often an unnecessarily taboo subject. If you can afford to do this then it could be a good option and help to take some of the pressure off of you.

Hireable help can come in many forms and depending on your needs there are many different roles that you could hire for.

If you need help with the kids and someone that you can trust to look after them alone then a nanny could be a great option.

If you are struggling to keep on top of cleaning while managing the rest of life’s tasks then perhaps consider hiring a weekly cleaner. 

Eat Together

Eating together is a fantastic way of ensuring that you still get family time even on a busy schedule. It also allows you all to discuss your plans for the coming days, this helps to keep everyone in the loop.

Mealtimes should be a fun time to switch off and could help you to feel less overwhelmed. 

Have Some Screen Free Time

Technology is all around us. As a working mum, you probably have multiple pieces of technology but unfortunately, that isn’t always a good thing. Technology makes people think that we are constantly available.

For instance, your boss may decide to email you at 10 o’clock at night and you may feel pressure to reply.

Turning technology off allows you to be temporarily unavailable to the rest of the world and can stop work and other commitments from taking over your life. 

Cut Back Your Hours

Obviously, this option isn’t always feasible but if it is it should be one that you consider.

As stated earlier there is no reason that as a woman you can not work and have a family but this does not mean that it is healthy to overwork yourself.

Cutting back on your working hours could allow you that time to breathe and give you the opportunity to have more much-loved family time. 

Relieve Some Pressure

This is perhaps the most simple of our 15 tips but can be so effective.

Try taking some pressure off yourself, Often we are our own worst critics and the best way of relieving pressure can simply be reminding ourselves that we are enough and that we are doing our best.

Have A Good Routine

Routine is absolutely key to feeling less overwhelmed and managing your mental health. Having a routine allows our minds to make certain connections and to be aware of when it is time to switch off.

A great way to start your day could be with a productive morning routine, this allows you to ensure that everything that needs doing in the morning gets done such as getting yourself ready for work, getting the kids ready for school, letting the dog have a roam around outside, packing the kids lunch and getting everyone’s shoes on.

You could also have a lovely nighttime routine ensuring that you have some much-needed ‘me time and that all of your needs are met.

A  good nighttime routine could include watching an episode of your favorite show, having a bath, a good face routine, and some yoga.

Obviously, these are only examples and you will know what needs to go into your routine. 

Practise Breathing Exercises

When we are feeling particularly overwhelmed or stressed it is easy to forget the basics such as breathing techniques.

There are many different breathing techniques that can help you to ground yourself and help to reduce the physical sensations associated with stress.

There are a lot of good apps available to help to guide you through different breathing exercises that you might find useful. 

Eat Well

Having a good diet is absolutely key when it comes to maintaining good mental and physical health.

Eating a balanced diet will allow you to feel more energized and less run-down which will give you the ability to tackle your day head-on.

Preparing healthy meals for you and the kids to eat could also reduce parenting stress as you will be able to acknowledge your accomplishment of providing your children with a healthy meal. 

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Don’t Be Fooled By Social Media

In modern-day society, it is so important to remember that social media does not provide an accurate representation of anyone’s life.

People choose which aspects and moments of their life to share with the world in order to conform to a certain persona.

You probably have a certain person on Instagram or Facebook who never ceases to amaze you and that you compare yourself to constantly but it is important to remember that you don’t know how much of what they post is an accurate representation of their day to day life.

In reality, a lot of the time the people who seem to have it all together online are the people who are struggling the most.

Take Steps To Improve Your Sleep

Without the right amount of good quality sleep, it is only natural to feel overwhelmed.

We need sleep in order to function effectively, some good ways of improving your sleep could include, leaving your phone downstairs, getting into bed earlier, adjusting the temperature of the room, or doing some meditation before bed. 

Don’t Be A Perfectionist

Most importantly you need to come to terms with the fact that you are not perfect because no one is. It is important to realize that being a mom and working is hard and you will make mistakes along the way because you are human. 

Final Thoughts

Overall, when trying to be less overwhelmed as a working mom it is important to not be afraid to seek help and to allow yourself to spend time focusing on yourself.

As a mom ‘me time’ is not selfish, it is necessary. Finally, don’t be too hard on yourself and simply accept that you are doing your best.