I’m constantly pulled in multiple directions. I rarely have more than a moment to myself. I’m horrible at self-care and my business growth sometimes feels like it’s moving at a snail’s pace. *tears*
There are days when I get down on myself for not accomplishing more. I often tell myself that I should be more focused, more structured, more productive. And all of that’s true…but there’s also no denying the fact that there’s something else that takes time away from my business. Motherhood is my second full-time job.
I hustle every morning to get tasks done for clients before the baby’s wake, and I hustle every night to finalize last minute tasks after I tuck them into bed.
Don’t get me wrong, my husband helps a lot. But…you know…mom guilt.
I work at home, so when I’m working, I often feel the tug of mom guilt and suffer from the feeling of missing out. Sometimes, I feel like my office is a dungeon, that I can only come out of once I’ve finished my “homework.” It’s hard.
Since many of my close friends are bloggers and solopreneurs who work online, they know my struggle.
At least, I’m not the only one.
5 ways to manage overwhelm as a busy mom
Since I’ve been in this game a while (working at home for just over 4 years now), I figure I can give a little advice by telling you what I do to lessen work overwhelm. I’m going to tell you right now, these suggestions only work if you actually do them though. And I can testify that there are times when I don’t follow my own advice. At times, I get caught up in things and charge forward without thinking or planning first.
You might already do some of these and others might be new to you. And I’d love to hear what you’re doing too. We’re all a work in progress. So if you’ve got a tip to share, leave it in the comments below.
Let’s do this…
Take breaks. Before I talk about anything else, I’m going to talk about breaks. Take them. You need them. I really messed up with this one in the beginning and I still struggle at times. I used to work 60+ hour work weeks with a toddler. Nope. It didn’t work. No matter how much time you throw at a problem, know that it won’t get fixed simply because you want it to. Your brain needs rest, sleep, food, downtime, the outdoors…you know…those things you used to do before you started building a business. Without them, your creativity will dry up and you’ll be spending three wasted hours in front of the computer with zero accomplished. Don’t waste your time. Trust me, you’ll be much more productive on a rested brain, so schedule in those breaks. It will be worth it.
RELATED: DON’T LET YOUR BUSINESS TAKE OVER YOUR LIFE
Ask for help. This one should be obvious…but sadly…it’s not. Remember that mom guilt we talked about? Yeah, that one will get you every time. You’ll try to do everything yourself for fear of disturbing others and drumming up drama. Like Ana says in Frozen, let it go. Too many times we hesitate to ask our friends, family or partners for help. We don’t ask our parents, or friends, or colleagues, or whoever it is that might have the solution to our problem. Instead, we just hold onto it and hope that mess works itself out or maybe we wait on some divine intervention. Either way, it ends being more trouble than it’s worth…so really, just get rid of it. Ask for help. Delegate. Trust that somebody, somewhere has your back.
Get creative. Because so much is expected of moms, we often lose our sense of self after we have kids. Not by choice, but through the lack of opportunity. And when you start a business, you might as well consider it a second child. You’ve lost yourself all over again. But now it’s time to do for you. Use your breaks to do something you absolutely love. Take time daily to enjoy hobbies and get creative. Enjoy yourself and don’t let that mom guilt or new business guilt creep in. You’ll be alright and everyone…including your business…will survive. So have fun!
Go with the flow. You’re probably already doing this one. But I’ve noticed that sometimes, even when I’ve prioritized my day, I can see that I’m not really being honest with myself. Sometimes I really want to get tasks done that I absolutely have no time for today, or I’ll put things off that really can’t wait. For whatever reason, my brain just isn’t up to that task today and I know that I’ll do a horrible job if I have to force myself through it. In those cases, I’ll push tasks to the next day or two days later, so that I can be sure they get my full attention. If you know yourself and how you work, know when to prioritize a task and when to set it on the back burner if you’re just not feeling it. Try to make lists and focus on one thing at a time, but remember to be flexible when it doesn’t work out. It’s totally ok. Remind yourself that you can stop, and come back refreshed later.
RELATED: WHY I NEED DOWNTIME AWAY FROM MY BUSINESS
Take time off. We talked about breaks earlier, and those are great, but nothing replaces real time off. Every year, or ideally, every couple of months, you need to take extended time off away from your business. A whole week, two weeks, a month…whatever you can spare. Now, it’s not easy to take time off. In most businesses, time off means lost income. You might have to find ways to generate extra income before you can take your vacation or settle for working half time until you’re able to stick to real vacation time. I take my big break in December, because everyone is already winding down the for the holiday and client work has slowed. But, if you absolutely have to work during your vacation, try at least cutting down your hours significantly. Even if you can’t get away completely, you can still shut off your computer and smart phone to take a media fast when you’re not working. Take that time with your family and for rest. I guarantee you’ll feel 10,000 times better!
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