Being a mom is hard work, add in relationships and work to the mix and it can be quite challenging to juggle it all. On top of that, you need to make time for yourself. There are only so many hours in a day, which can leave you with little time for yourself.
You’ve probably read my pieces on how to balance your relationship with a newborn and maintain friendships as a mom, but these posts didn’t touch on how to get stuff done. Today, that’s what I want to tackle. That is why I put together a few tips I use to make sure I get my to do list done, so I enough time for friends and family.
Say No
I don’t know who needs to hear this, but it’s okay to say NO. We all struggle with learning when to say no. Knowing when we can’t possibly take on anything else is the only way we can make sure we’re carving out time for ourselves. No one is going to fault you for saying no when you’re busy with too many things. Once you learn how to say no, the process of getting stuff done on time will be more painless.
Get Up Early
I’m sorry, you’re going to hate me, but get up early. I started waking up at 5 am (I know it’s awful), and it’s given me that time to myself. Whether it’s time spent writing, working out or just reading. It’s given me time when the kiddo is not awake. I can focus on things that are important to me or focus on getting stuff done early to be less stressed throughout the day. This small change has made a world of difference in my mental health and my productivity.
Set App Limits
Social media apps have a way of taking up a lot of our free time. I found myself spending way too much time on Instagram and TikTok when I could’ve been checking things off my to-do list. So to curb my scrolling habits and get refocused, I started setting app limits on certain apps. iPhone now has a tool in your settings that helps you set limits for how many hours you can use an app everyday. This small change has helped me drive my productivity and stay focused on the task at hand.
Use a Planner
Having a calendar or planner can make a world of difference. I like to sit down at the beginning of the week and look through my planner and know what my priorities are for the week. Ask yourself this, what stuff do I need to get done for work and personal life? Once I plan out my week, I can then make sure that I have time for myself and family time, but this will also let me know if I can take extra things on or if I need to say no. This will also prepare you should anything come up throughout the week.
Ask for Help
We’ve all been there; you have a jammed packed week. You’ve done everything you can to mitigate it, but it still happened. We need to learn to lean on people for help because, guess what, we can’t do it all. Let me say that again, we cannot do it all. Asking for help can be difficult, but it is necessary, lean on your partner or friend. We need to know when to ask for help because if we don’t know-how, how can we teach our kids to ask for help?
There is no exact science to getting stuff done as a mom. However, these are the tips that have helped me save time and focus on things that truly matter. Things like spending time with my family and friends, and writing on pretty and smart co. If you’re looking for more productivity tips, then you can check out Brooklyn’s blog here. You can also check out the book that inspired me to change my habits here.
