Nobody can really tell you how hard it is to be a mother. It’s only clear once you become one. And your duties become even harder to juggle when you’re a working mother. Trying to find the balance between work and home life can be extremely tricky. You want to excel in your career, but your family always comes first. Is there a way to have the best of both worlds? Yes. That’s the short answer, at least. You just need to learn how to balance your time and take care of yourself, as well as your family. In this article, we’re going to talk about some ways in which you could excel both at work and at home.
Gain crossover skills.
Believe it or not, there are plenty of skills that apply to both working life and family life. For instance, organizational skills will help you to stick to project deadlines in your job but they’ll also help you to juggle the many different things you need to prepare for your child’s day at school or their after-school activities. There are plenty of crossover skills that you should aim to improve if you want to excel in your career and your home life. Obviously, you need to keep the two things separate, but that doesn’t mean you should approach them with different mentalities. If you can take charge at home then you can take charge at work.
In other words, you need to be the boss at home and at work (even if you’re not the boss of the company, the right mindset will help you to work your way up to a leadership role). You might want to research and practice your people management skills. Those are particularly useful in an office environment. You can completely shift the dynamic of a workplace in a positive way by being patient, communicating well with others, and showing an interest in your colleagues. This might even help you to get noticed by senior staff at your business and help your career to progress.
Talk to your boss.
The best way to excel in your career and your home life is to make sure that your employer understands your position. You need to know how to communicate well with your boss so that they understand your responsibility as a mother. Obviously, this doesn’t mean you can come and go as you please if you have a full-time job. It all depends on the employer and the type of role, of course, but most people are willing to be reasonable if you are. For example, if your employer wants you to work at the weekend but you wouldn’t be able to get anyone to look after the kids at such short notice then they’ll, most likely, be flexible. You just need to make sure you talk to your boss if there’s any clash between your work and home life. If you need to take your child to a dentist appointment or there’s been an issue at school then your employer will understand. You’ll just have to make up for the time off work.
Accept failure so that you can learn from it.
This is one of the most important lessons for all people, but it’s particularly useful for working mothers. If you want to be successful in your career then you need to bravely take risks. That’s the only way you’ll be able to progress. You’ll probably make mistakes and fail, but every mistake is a lesson learned. That’s the way you need to approach your job and your life as a whole. Failure leads to success. Think of how many people rejected the Beatles or J.K. Rowling before they both became internationally successful. Sometimes, your timing might be bad or you might have to hone your craft. If we didn’t experience failure then we’d never be pushed to pursue greater things.
And learning how to accept failure will help you in your home life, too. It’s an important lesson to teach your kids. They shouldn’t feel as if they have to win and do exceptionally well all the time in order to be happy. Make sure they understand that mistakes are a part of life. If they don’t do well on a particular piece of homework then you need to support them and encourage them to try harder with the next piece of work. Don’t ever make them feel as if they’re only doing well if they succeed at everything they try. You need to teach them to be brave and take risks. You need to teach them to be able to handle failure when things don’t go well. That’s how you’ll prepare them to be strong and successful in the real world.
Learn how to handle yourself in a meeting.
This applies to both your job and your home life. The word “meeting” might evoke a sigh of disappointment, but they’re important in so many aspects of life. In your career, a meeting is an opportunity for you to be heard by your colleagues and possibly even your employer. It’s a chance to prove your worth and climb the ranks in your organization. But the same thing can be said about making yourself heard at home. That’s why you should host family meetings on a regular basis. Much like meetings at work, a family meeting is a chance for everybody in the house to be heard. Organize future events at these meetings so that your kids and your partner feel included in the decision. It’s important for everybody to be on the same page. Family meetings are also a great chance for everybody to feel connected and involved in each other’s lives. If you’re a busy mother then this is a chance to make sure you maintain a close bond with your children.
Make time for socializing.
This includes spending time with family, friends, and work colleagues. Socializing is essential to excelling in all areas of life. It’s easy to have a quiet night in on a daily basis. With your many responsibilities, you’re probably exhausted by the end of the day. But it’s important to set aside some time in your life to connect with people and relax. Hanging out with your colleagues doesn’t have to be a boring chance to “network”. It’s a chance to become proper friends with the people you see on a daily basis. It’ll help you to work better because you’ll actually know and like your coworkers. Let your hair down on a Friday and go bowling or drinking at a local bar with the people in your office.
Socializing with your existing friends and family is important, too. You should make sure that you gather at the dinner table to eat with your family and talk about your day (or tell silly stories). Of course, you should also aim to go out and see your pals from time to time. If there’s nobody to look after the kids then you could hire a babysitter once a week or get your parents to help out (there’s always somebody who’s happy to babysit if you just ask). Allowing yourself the freedom to have fun and connect with your loved ones will help to alleviate the stress of a hectic week. You’ll return to your job and your family home feeling refreshed and rejuvenated. Don’t dismiss the importance of laughing with your friends and family.
Meditate.
Self-care matters in today’s busy world. The point above can help with this. Spending time with your loved ones helps to improve your mental health. Talking and laughing with people can be a very therapeutic process if you’ve been dealing with a lot of stress and anxiety throughout the week. Still, alone time can be important, too. If you frequently feel overwhelmed with your responsibilities at home and at the office then you should find some time to decompress on a weekly basis. When you get home from work, give yourself 10 minutes to meditate. Practice breathing exercises. Exhaling and inhaling can really calm down your body. And if you learn to focus on your breath then you’ll be able to stop focusing on your worries. It can really help to improve your mental health and make you better able to tackle the daily challenges that come your way.
Of course, simply giving yourself time to relax can help, too. Whether it’s at the weekend or on the occasional weeknight, you should give yourself a couple of hours to relax in the bath with a magazine or catch up on some Netflix shows that you haven’t had time to watch. Everybody needs a bit of “me time”. Even busy moms with demanding careers need to set aside some time to recharge. It’s necessary to make sure that you’re mentally and physically strong enough to function at your fullest during the week. Relaxation and meditation are not a waste of time or procrastination. When you have a chaotic lifestyle, improving your mental health is incredibly practical.
