5 Ways Us Mamas Can Achieve Balance (Specifically Harmony!) in Our Lives
For many of us moms, balancing time between our responsibilities at home, work, relationships and even ourselves can be a challenge. So I’m here to help!
Below you'll find 5 actionable tips to make achieving balance (more specifically harmony) in our lives so much easier.
Let’s jump straight in with tip #1!
1. Build Momentum⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Let’s talk about productivity. There are 2 camps here, some are in the “eat the frog” camp (popularized by author Brian Tracy) while the others, including myself, are in the “build momentum” camp.
For those of you who aren’t familiar with “eating the frog”, it essentially means doing the most important big thing first. For a lot of disciplined high achievers, this really works.
As for me, I tried it for a while, and on some days it worked. But on most days, I became overwhelmed with fear, procrastination and/or analysis paralysis that I ended up with a backlog of both important things and minor tasks.
Luckily what works for me instead is building momentum. I create a lot of micro-wins by tackling small (yet important) tasks first. Having one win after another builds my energy and confidence throughout the day to finally feel ready for that one big and important task (aka the frog). It’s important though to be mindful of the amount of time needed to complete that big task to make sure I still finish it on time.
Here’s tip #2.
2. Time-blocking
If you want to make time for what you consider important (this includes self-care which tends to be what we do only when there's leftover time), it's not enough to have a to-do list. After creating the to-do list, the next step is to actually schedule everything in - from paying the bills to sorting the laundry to preparing dinner, to putting on a facemask! And I firmly believe this applies to all of us, whether we manage a home, a job, and/or a business.
So what do I mean by scheduling it in? Put it on your calendar with a date and time. Like, block it off whether it's on your phone, a trusty planner, and/or Post-it Notes. When you do this, you'll see what's realistic for you to accomplish within a day. Don't forget to leave time for breaks too!
Did you know that you're 42% more likely to get things done if you write them down? It's a micro-commitment that will help you find ways and solutions to make it happen.
That way you can prepare the necessary activities to keep your child preoccupied while you do what you need to. When you plan ahead, you're also more likely to get help and support from the right person/people to clear the path for you.
Ready for tip #3?
3. Single-Tasking
I still remember the time when multitasking was considered a skill that we wore as a badge of honor. Recent studies have shown though that multi-tasking is a real productivity killer. It’s better to do one thing at a time and to give it our full attention before moving on to the next thing. As tempting as it is to multitask, it’s important to realize that it actually makes us slower because our attention is split between at least 2 things. This means we have to switch on and off each time and it becomes harder for us to finish even one thing.
Doing one thing at a time has also helped me stay more present with the people I’m with. It wasn’t easy at first because I realized that I multitask ALL the time. Then when I started being more conscious about single-tasking, I felt less rushed, but surprisingly finished more things completely.
So try to allot time to do one thing at a time and see the difference in concentration, speed and results. When we do this, we’ll surprise ourselves to find extra time that would have gone to switching between tasks. That way you might be able to sneak in a moment to yourself instead!
I am ready to share the 4th tip!⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
4. Batching
Instead of doing several different things in a day, try to group similar tasks together by batching. It will help you maintain focus and save time on getting set up.
For example, you can choose to make food all on a Sunday, and freeze the rest for usage during the week. (Just make sure all health and hygiene protocols are followed in storage, defrosting and reheating.)
As a working mom, I also make sure that similar tasks which require the same program are also what I schedule in on a particular day.
Another example can be shopping (online or not), plan it out so you can get all things you need from one place/app and save on the trips/delivery fees.
Hope this 4th tip takes your efficiency to the next level. When you use your time more wisely, it will free up your much-needed energy to make room for more rest, time with the family, and even me-time.
Here we go with tip #5.
5. Celebrate
As moms, sometimes we forget to appreciate the little things because we're so fixated on the next big thing. Or we brush off the little moments as being unimportant and not worth celebrating. (e.g. Yay, I finished re-organizing my son's closet!)
It doesn't need to be grand, we can can celebrate our milestones and achievements even with a small reward. It can be as simple as enjoying a Netflix show unapologetically -- like own it and don't feel guilty! Or have a quick drink with your hubby, or treat yourself to a piece of chocolate.
One tip I can give you to help extend that sense of happiness is anchoring. When something awesome happens, do a small motion that you can connect to that moment (e.g. put your hands together, rub your fingers together, anything). So next time, you'll end up associating that feeling with that action. Just do the action whenever you feel like it and relive the moment. It sounds odd, but it can really be effective! And who wouldn't want a little more happiness everyday?
Hope these tips are helpful! Are these things you're already doing? Do you find them effective? What would you do with the extra time you have? If you enjoyed this blog and you want more tips like these, do let me know in the comments below! Thanks a bunch.
Don’t forget to follow along on my Facebook Page and Instagram too to catch more on my journey to find bliss!