Are you a mom struggling to save time from your busy schedule? Ha! I can feel your pain and how you manage to get things done with all that you plan to do and don’t get done easily.
Sometimes, as a mother, you have many activities to do during the day, week, or months that don’t get done.
You find yourself at a loss and you repeat the same thing over and over. You gradually end up not getting things done.
This is when frustration sets in and you pile up activities, leaving them unattended.
I think I know what will help you get your activities done on time and at the right time. At the end of the day, you’ll end up being a happy and successful mom. Saving a lot of time and also become less busy to have enough rest.
Here are 10 time-saving hacks that can help you as a busy mother.
1. Employ a nanny/babysitter:
Babysitters or nannies are better options for a busy mother. They help you release some of the burdens from you. Yes, it is true there are stories of bad babysitters or nannies, but mind you some of them are extremely good and well-behaved. They could also be your parents, siblings, and trusted friends or relatives.
They can help you cater to your children while you attend to whatever you’re supposed to do. They can also help you clean your home, help you cook, and also run errands for you.
Not necessarily to be in the house or stay with you forever, but they can stay for a short period while you attend to your activities. It helps save time, energy and makes you less busy.
2. Make a schedule list:
It is advisable that, as a busy mom, you make lists of your daily activities. Make sure you jot down whatever plan you have and follow it sequentially.
Having a scheduled list helps you know what to do on a particular day and time. It helps you keep your activities at a steady pace and makes you work smart, efficiently, and focused. It also saves time and energy.
When you make the list too, it reminds you of what to do at a particular time. You know, as a mom, it’s very easy to be forgetful. This is very time-draining. As you follow your activities on your scheduled list, you become less busy and have more time to do other things.
3. Set a goal:
What goal do you want to achieve in a day, and how do you intend achieving it? What is the purpose of this goal?
Setting a goal for your daily activities makes it easier. It helps you have a daily task to achieve with a purpose. Goal setting is also advisable for working mothers who do not know what to do at a particular time.
Aside, from making your schedule, have a goal in mind and make a conscious effort to achieve it. Doing that makes you focused and prevents you from wondering about other activities because you have a target to meet.
This goal can be set for just a day, weeks, or even months.
4. Work smart, not hard:
Working smart is different from working hard. Having equipment or accessories for work makes you work very smart.
For instance, instead of washing with your hands, you can use the washing machine. Instead of using the squeezer for your juice, you can use the juicer. And it goes on and on.
Ignoring all this equipment or machinery to do otherwise is time-draining and makes you “unnecessarily” busy.
It takes your time from doing other important things, hence spending the day without achieving any goal.
You can also involve your kids in your daily activities. Such as cleaning, helping to cook, washing, and doing other stuff as you also focus on others.
Know that preventing your children from helping you do the chores doesn’t guarantee a hardworking mother. It drains you and leaves you in an unhealthy state.
5. Use delivery services often:
Delivery services are available to make the purchase of items easy. It helps to save time for other activities. Buying items online and having them delivered to you is such a relief.
Making your item purchase online also helps you become less busy. Taking almost 45 minutes or an hour for shopping can be reduced when you do your shopping online and have it delivered to you.
A busy mom who doesn’t want to use the delivery service can have someone do the shopping for her. Like a relative, a friend, a working colleague, or even her husband can help.
6. Have a meal plan:
Knowing what to cook for the family helps a lot. Have a meal plan for each day of the week and ensure you follow it in order.
Ever had one of those days when you’re too tired to cook something for the family? And you go to the fridge and finally find something to put on the table? Yes, I believe that day was a happy one for you because you finally found what to eat.
Cooking in batches and preserving them in the fridge is also advisable for busy moms. When you know you’re going to be so busy during the week, just find a day and prepare a batch of food.
This is a life and time saver. It sustains you during the days that you don’t have the strength to do your cooking.
7. Plan ahead for family events:
Having a family event coming up and you’re not sure whether to be able to attend or not? Well, I suppose it’s advisable to have a plan ahead before the event.
Have a plan for this event and make all the preparations toward it. Such as preparing the outfits to wear on that day, booking an appointment for a beauty treat, what surprises/gifts you want to take to the event, and the departure and arrival times to the event.
Doing so makes things easier for you when the time for the event is near. You get refreshed, and look good and presentable at the event.
Keeping yourself busy during the day of the event will only make you look unkept and less presentable. It also makes you look tired.
8. Create a family calendar
The calendar is there for reminders and promptings of what to do. It helps us with dates of events and activities.
Creating a family calendar will help you as a busy mom by keeping track of what to do at every given point. Create events using Google Calendar; it allows you to specify the time and days the event or activities will take place.
This also improves your ability to work accordingly. It reminds you of what time of the month is. And what activities do you have to do for the family? Anniversaries, birthdays, vacations, outings, fun games and chores.
Google Calendar sets a reminder for all these events. And trust me, it is one of the best places to keep your family calendar.
9. Limit your screen time
Have you ever had the time to sit by the TV, phone, laptop, and video games for hours without having anything done throughout the day?
Screen time is a time drainer, it takes your time and makes you busy later. It prevents you from doing what you have to do at a particular time.
Close 4–5 moms sit and watch series and soap operas without completing their tasks for the day. It is very draining to have your phone on all day without being productive.
Have limitations on your screen time when there’s a task or an activity to attend to. Switch off all screens, TVs, phones, laptops, and video games to focus on whatever you have to do.
It also helps you to go to sleep early and wake up early for your daily morning chores. Limiting screen time and getting good sleep makes you healthy and strong.
10. Sleeping on time at night.
Everyone has 8–9 hours of bedtime, and it is good for the body to rest and have some strength for the following day.
Sleeping early helps moms gain more strength to be able to attend to their daily chores the following day.
Every mom is not supposed to burden or overwork herself. It’s okay to not finish your work on the same day. It’s okay to feel tired at times, and it’s okay to want to go to sleep early and get some rest.
Being overly busy does not make you a “superhero,” but rather depletes your energy and prevents you from getting some rest.
Sleep early, get some rest, and gain some strength for what lies ahead of you the following day. You need it because you’re also a human mom.
Conclusions
All moms are special and doing well in their own way. However, every mother requires some self-care time in order to appear strong and healthy for their family and home. Don’t overwork yourself and end up losing yourself as a mom.
I guess these 10 hacks will help you, as a mom, to save some time for yourself and not be too busy. The bottom line is, at the end of the day, just make sure you complet at least one or two task. That’s the most important thing to do.
Work smart, not hard. Work efficiently and not tediously. All the best, and have a wonderful Momful Day!
