An Array Of Great Survival Ideas For Exhausted Working Mums
Sometimes you feel that pure adrenaline alone is keeping you going and you wonder how you are able to survive, let alone function well at work and juggle all the other requirements of being a busy mum.
You realise that you would do well if you could work to a schedule and manage things much more effectively, but your new arrival is not aware of your need to schedule things, at all! During these crucial formative years, the baby is entirely dependent on your response and it sometimes feels as if you are working a 9-to-5 shift in reverse at night, as you answer to your newborn baby’s requirements.
As a devoted mother, you are certainly enjoying your life in your new role, but from time to time you may feel as if you are at the end of your wits, calling on every element of your being to conquer what would otherwise seem to be perfectly mundane tasks. Isn’t in awful, when you can see the new work week approaching and not know how you’re going to cope?
While we have already determined that it is difficult to maintain a schedule and if someone mentions the phrase “time management” to you once more, you are going to scream, but it is nevertheless important for you to establish as close to a routine as you possibly can.
Without routines we find ourselves bouncing from pillar to post and it all leads up to an elevated level of stress, which negatively impacts every other area. Although you might not like to think that you have to do so, it’s important for you to get into a routine as soon as possible.
In the mornings, keep your procedures as simple as possible. It can be very difficult to get going in the morning if your night’s rest has been disrupted by the needs of the baby. However, you have things to do and you should do them in the same order every day.
Exercise is vitally important and this must be your first priority. This is most important and you should not be tempted to lay for 15 minutes extra in bed. Position your treadmill so that you can view the headlines, traffic problems and the weather on the TV ahead of you, even as the coffee is brewing in the kitchen. When you are done, it’s time to get the children up and make sure they have their own chores to do to lighten your load.
You will need to get this down to a fine art, or even a science, every day. This is probably the most stressful time of the day, as you are trying to focus while still trying to wake up! By insisting on a clockwork routine and making sure that all your family are “on board” with this concept and that they help you, you’ll be ready to get out of the door running, on time.
From time to time, you might think that you have nothing available when it comes to keeping up with your “me time” and enjoying your social life, having to concentrate so hard on work and the baby. Take time to foster a good relationship with a caregiver and understand how important this person can be to you.
You will hopefully have an understanding boss at work. Never take advantage of the situation though and only call in any favours or use any delay allowances or personal days if absolutely necessary. If you always play fair, whenever emergencies come along, you will be more able to deal with this situation and to meet with your boss’s favour.
Try not to schedule anything that is too demanding, technically for you at work in the morning and at all times, do not overload your schedule unrealistically.
Time management is very important during your 9-to-5 routine at work and you should try not to allow work to spill over into your own personal time.
Use professional coaching to help you focus on key areas. Many in your position have used dedicated coaching for women and have often been able to get past “the wall” by turning to online life coaching solutions.
Amanda Alexander is the Director of Coaching Mums and a widely renowned ICF-accredited coach who delivers professional coaching programmes to working mums across the globe who long for more time, balance and fulfilment in their busy lives. Download our free eBook especially for working mums with 5 easy ways to achieve balance.