Exhausted working moms are one of the hardest-working people on this planet. There is never any reprieve from the daily grind. Every single day you get up you put everything and everyone else before yourself.
Dear working mom, you are NOT alone. I want you to know I SEE you. I am YOU.
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5 Tips For the Exhausted Working Mom
Working mothers get minimal time for themselves. It is easy to become an exhausted working mom. You have minimal time for your family and no time for yourself. Here are a few tips to help the burned out mom.
1. Schedule Days off
Taking days off from work while the kids stay in daycare is a great way to take time for yourself. Get your calendar out and take 1 day off a quarter for example.
On your day off the sky is the limit. You can meet up with girlfriends for lunch or stay home all day and rest. However self-care looks like to you, that is what you do.
Do NOT FEEL guilty that you are taking a day off of work without having any appointments planned, or spending time with your kids. These days are just for you. The more you can recharge, the more energy you will have for your loved ones.
2. Ask for Help
Because working moms are superheroes, it is hard to ask for help. We are so efficient and pros at the balancing act. Asking for help is one of the easiest ways to lighten your load when you need it most.
Asking for help looks different for all mothers but here are a few things you can ask for:
- Splitting chores around the house evenly with your spouse
- Asking your partner to put the kids down for bed
- Having a friend drop off food for dinner
- Asking a grandparent to pick up the kids after school
3. Move Close to Family
If you aren’t living near family members and they aren’t toxic, moving near them is a wonderful way to get help with the kids. Not only does this help you, but it also helps the grandparents. Studies show that grandparents who watch their grandchildren typically live longer.
When you live close to family, it is more likely that someone can watch your sick child, help with child care, and be a positive role model.
4. Reduce Hours at Work
If finances and your career path allows, reducing hours at work is a great way to balance work and your home life.
Reducing just one day at work can allow you the flexibility to take your kids to appointments and do chores around the house. If you get your chores done during the week this leaves your weekends free to enjoy your family.
5. Pay for Home Services
Working motherhood means you are outside the home more times than not. Find services that will take chores off your plate such as:
- House cleaning services
- Lawn and landscaping services
- Online grocery shopping and home delivery
- Sign up for a meal delivery kit
What is a Working Mom?
Working moms are mothers that work outside of the home. A working mother can have any career she chooses.
The main difference between a working mom and a stay-at-home mom is that a working mother does not watch her children full-time because she is getting paid to work outside of the home.
Why Would You Be a Working Mom?
Many mothers choose to work while others do it out of necessity. Either way being a working mother can be beneficial.
Being a working mom helps with gender equality. A study done by Havard Business school showed that both sons and daughters benefitted from having a mother that worked outside of the home.
Women who had mothers that worked outside of the home were more likely to have high positions and earn more money during their career compared to women who had mothers who stayed at home. Alternatively, men who had mothers that worked were more likely to contribute to household chores and care for their children and other family members compared to men who at stay at home mothers.
Being a working mother gives you financial security, the ability to cherish time with your kids when you get the chance, and give you a break from caregiving.
What a Day looks like as a working Mom
If you’ve never worked outside of the home you may be wondering what does it a day look like? Let’s break down what a day for a working mother looks like…
The alarm clock goes off bright and early at 5:00 am. You get up before your children and get ready for work. If you’re not exhausted after sleeping a grand total of 6 hours you might get up early and work out. But you get up in just enough time to make yourself presentable, quickly wake your kids up, and rush out the door.
You get to daycare and realize you forgot to put shoes on Susie. So you turn around, pick up the shoes and drop the kids off. Susie hates going to daycare so she cries and your heart breaks as you leave daycare.
You finally get to work only a few minuets late…Score! You are happy to talk to adults and get things done. But 3:00 rolls around and you’re exhausted from today’s meetings and know your day is just beginning.
You pick up Susie after work and go home to make dinner. Once dinner is over you have to clean the kitchen and bath Susie. You pray your husband wants to put Susie down for bed tonight because you just don’t have the energy to do so.
Susie went down to bed and this is the time when you could do some laundry or go to bed. You decide that the laundry has to get done because Susie is out of underwear. You start the laundry but forget about it because you and your husband are catching up on each other’s day.
The conversation goes much longer than anticipated and you go to bed super late. You forgot to put the laundry in the dryer. You wake up early and realize the laundry hasn’t been dried, so move it over to the dryer. Then you jump in the shower and your day starts all over again.
Do Working Moms have Mom Guilt?
Working moms have mom guilt. Typically it is because they feel like they aren’t a good mom or a good employee. Her time is always split and she is never able to give anything her full effort. She feels like she is never fully present with her family because she has to be so efficient with her time at home with chores, cooking, and cleaning she can’t enjoy being with her family.
Sometimes working motherhood and motherhood, in general, can affect your mental health. If you are struggling with more than mom guilt please seek help from a healthcare professional. You are not alone and your feelings are valid. Things will get better with the right support.
Exhausted Working Mom Wrap-Up
Having a full-time job outside of the home can be challenging. The pressures of work and raising a family can impact your mental health. Make sure and seek professional care if you are struggling.
Even the best of us need help from time to time. Asking for help, taking days off for yourself, and paying for home services can help you balance family time. Although difficult, don’t let your to-do list get the best of you.
If you can move closer to family or reduce your hours at work it may be beneficial for you and your children.
Ultimately, make sure you don’t put yourself on the back burner and take the time to refuel your soul.
Exhausted working mom, I SEE you. You are doing GREAT. Keep pressing on my love.
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