It’s no secret that life is busier today than ever before. It’s as if the information age has ushered in a new era where a frantic, all-go-no-stop life is the only one available to anyone not living in a hidden mountain retreat or private Caribbean island. The segment of the population that seems to have been hit hardest by this increasingly hectic lifestyle is mothers. And while there might be no easy way to escape the busy lifestyle that has become the new norm, there are some things that busy moms can do to better manage everything on their plates.
- Prioritize Your List – News flash: a mother’s to-do list is never-ending. You will not get through it, and you will not get to everything. Things are going to get done late, or slip through the cracks, or get forgotten completely. Accept it. And try not to stress about it. Instead, take your to-do list and prioritize it so that those things that are most important rise to the top of the list, and those that can wait (or those that you can live with if they happen to get forgotten completely) slide down to the bottom.
- Prioritize Your Health – When we reach that point when there simply aren’t enough hours in the day, something has to give. For many moms, taking care of their health is the thing that tends to get put on the back burner. You don’t have time to eat healthy and get your children to eat healthy, so you skip meals and rely on quick snacks to get you through the day. You tell yourself you don’t have time to get sick because you’re too busy taking care of sick children. It’s easier said than done—a mother’s health is no less important than her children’s. Make sure you take the time to take care of your health, even if that means dropping something else. (You don’t have to bake cookies for every single awards banquet, after all!)
- Prioritize Yourself – There’s a reason why the safety information on airplanes tells you to put your oxygen mask on before attempting to put your child’s on. It’s because if you can’t function, there’s no way your children will be able to. It is extremely hard for most moms to take a break from their frantic lives, but it’s also critical. Let go of the guilt and take the ME-TIME you need to recharge and remind yourself that you are more than just a mom.
