Essential tips for working moms to balance motherhood and mental health, ensuring harmony in both personal and professional life.
I’m a woman phenomenally. Phenomenal woman, that’s me
-- Maya Angelou
In an age where women increasingly embrace empowerment and career ambitions, balancing motherhood and mental health becomes crucial. Women striving as mothers, homemakers, and professionals face immense pressure. Support from partners and family is vital, yet the maternal role's complexities demand robust mental resilience. Ensuring mental well-being is key to maintaining focus and equilibrium across all life facets, particularly for mothers managing diverse responsibilities.
According to a recent survey conducted in 2022 by CVS Health, “42% of the surveyed working mothers were diagnosed with anxiety and/or depression, compared to 28% of the general population and 25% of their coworkers without kids”.
Being a working mother is highly demanding, both professionally and personally. You try to meet the demands of your roles in the best way possible. Even though both roles are independent, they do intersect at some point and have an impact on one another. Both segments of your life are essential. You should be considering ways to reduce stress for yourself and make it easier for you to manage your life in healthier ways.
Allocate a Budget to Yourself
Usually, in a household, whatever both partners earn is delegated to expenditure, bills, and savings. Always allocate a budget to your health. This includes wellness, therapy/coaching, healthcare, self-care, and treatments, etc. This is an act of self-care and a form of giving yourself priority. Often, women get so distracted with their responsibilities that they forget to tend to their personal needs, which can badly affect their mental health.
Seek Therapy
It’s a misconception that therapy is only for people who are mentally challenged or suffer from mental illnesses. Therapy or coaching can be a great support to check in with yourself, find a balance in your life, and manage everyday stress before it builds up to the point of damage.
There are many affordable options to seek online therapy, counseling, and coaching, such as Better Help, Talk Space, Amwell… Working with a professional gives you the tools to deal with everyday stress and anxiety. It can enhance a healthy work-life balance and cater to any usual symptoms that can disrupt the smooth functioning of life.
Delegate What You Can
Of course, sometimes you are urged to be a supermom and do it all yourself. But when you already have too much, it’s an excellent time to take a step back and delegate some responsibilities. Whether you seek help from a partner or a professional. Delegate what you can. You can always oversee the tasks for your own satisfaction but let someone else take care of it for you.
Allow Your Partner to Participate
Of course, you want things to be done according to your standards and expectations, and many times, you would refuse help from your partner because of that reason. Try to be more flexible and allow your partner to participate when helping with the kids and around the house. He/She or Your Partner might not pack the children’s lunch as perfectly as you would, or wash the dishes as you do, but this is their way of showing that they care. It is also a lesser burden to get everything done by yourself.
You can share some of the responsibilities with your partner, they can pick up the kids from school, and prepare the meals for the family twice a week. Not only does dividing the tasks encourage your partner’s participation, but it also makes them feel more valued.
Schedule Me Time
Just as allocating a monthly budget to yourself, scheduling regular “me” time is vital to keep things balanced so that you can show up as the best version of yourself at work and at home. Do not feel selfish or think it’s a waste of time to take a few hours to yourself. Whether your “me” time includes going to a spa, reading a book, or seeing your girlfriends, do it.
Your “me” time helps with centering and reconnecting with yourself. This can help reduce stress to a significant level.
Set Priorities
Life as a mother can be overwhelming at times. Setting your priorities can help with staying focused and reducing an overloaded schedule.
Set your daily and weekly priorities: what needs to be done and what can wait, instead of cluttering your schedule trying to do everything in one day or in one week. Prioritizing tasks based on urgency and timelines is an excellent strategy to manage a reasonably balanced schedule. Work on creating a weekly plan so that you are organized throughout the week.
Work with Fixed Routines
The more organized you are, the better your time is managed. Instead of having a go-by-the-flow strategy, work with fixed routines such as kids’ nap time, playtime, and study time. A set routine helps with staying organized and saving time. Also, it’s an excellent way to get your kids to develop healthy and constructive habits and promotes a calmer household environment.
These rituals in a family setting provide the children with a sense of stability and security during changes or stressful times. With a pre-established routine, normalcy should be present in a child’s life regardless of changes in the family life, such as a newborn sibling, separation, or divorce.
Simplify What You Can
Simplify all that you can, delegate responsibilities, hire help, and set boundaries when it comes to timing. The goal here is to simplify your life. So that you have room to breathe and grow in all facets of your life.
Think of minimalism when it comes to managing your life. This could mean decluttering your life and habits and maintaining a simplistic lifestyle.
If you are a HerMeNow participant or alumni, book your free coaching session now through the HerMeNow website https://www.hermenow.com/wellness.
 | Anam Anjum Wellness Consultant +971 52 629 9656 anam@hermenow.com almawellbeing.com |