Motherhood and work have increasingly become two facets of life many women have to juggle with whilst trying to keep every other area of their lives intact. The question however is can these two be effectively balanced so both can be handled successfully? Here are a few tips to make the most of both whilst making space for some “me” time.

Set some priorities

Work and taking care of your kids are both extremely important, but in order to carry both out efficiently you may have to draw up a list that will clearly outline what you have to do at what time. This will also help prevent you from neglecting whatever you have to do at any point in time. What are the two or three most important things you need to achieve per day? Focus on that as compared to trying to achieve so many things at once. Superwomen need to pace things out too! And remember…you do not have to do everything, so there may be some commitments you may eventually have to cut out to give you more time to focus on your priorities.

Find a routine that works

If work starts at say, 8am, it may be much better to start your day early enough for you to prepare the kids for school and carry out your morning activities without having to rush. Identifying a routine that works for you will help reduce the everyday clutter and will give you enough time to carry out each task. Don’t forget to try and get some sleep as early as you can the night before, so you can wake up bright and early the next day to start your routine again.

Let work be work and home be home

You could try as much as possible to do all your work in the office to reduce the amount of work you have to bring home. This will help set a clear demarcation between your work and home and will help you spend quality time with your family without too many distractions. This will also help you to be fully present mentally for your children when they are telling you all about their day at school and the homework they have to deal with.

Don’t worry if you work from home. This can still apply to you…just set a clear time and area for work, after which it’s time for only family.

Make every minute count

In our setting where traffic is very common, dropping the kids off at school could be another opportunity to interact and spend time with them (if they’re not asleep) before their day really starts. Though short, these few minutes could become very precious to your children as it eventually becomes that “Mummy and me” moment which makes them feel loved and shows you’re interested in their affairs.

Try and get some rest

Even if it’s for just an hour or 30 minutes, a little shut-eye never hurts! You could make use of the quiet time whilst your kids are napping, or find something that helps you relax during the weekend, so you can start the week fully refreshed. You can only be hundred percent efficient both as a mother and career-woman if you find time to rest.

We appreciate all the superwomen out there. Keep going, and don’t forget to consciously make some time to rejuvenate and get back up!

Written by: Nana Boatemaa