Time Management Tips for Stressed-Out Moms

Time is a commodity that everyone wishes they had more of. However, none probably as much as mothers. Somehow, they’re expected to raise the kids, keep the house in order, and maintain a job. It may not seem like much to someone without children, but keeping up with all the responsibilities of raising a family is a lot of work. It often leaves women unable to do things like care for themselves, spend quality time with friends and family, or pursue things that they enjoy. 

Do you feel like there’s never enough time in the day to get things done? Are you always scrambling around or stressed out from all you have to do? Though raising children is supposed to turn a few hairs grey, learning how to make the most of each day can make it all a lot easier. 

Morning and Evening Routines

Routines are lifesavers. They keep everyone on task while maximizing your time. If your family starts and ends their day with no structure, rhyme, or reason, this could be why you’re so stressed and barely have time for anything else. Morning and evening routines can change this. If the children know what time to be up for school, how long they have in the restroom, and what time breakfast is, they can pace themselves accordingly. The same goes for evenings, having a set homework time, mealtime, and bedtime routine will ensure that things get done in a timely fashion. 

Order Groceries Online

Shopping trips to the grocery store can take up a considerable amount of time, but you guys have to eat. To save yourself the hassle of commuting to the stores, rummaging through the aisles, and waiting in long lines, try ordering your groceries online. Major grocery store chains have implemented applications that allow customers to shop online and have the groceries shipped to their front door. 

Prep Meals

Trying to get dinner on after a long day at work and tending to the kids’ needs is difficult. For starters, you have no idea what to make. Then, once you do figure it out, there’s a lot of rinsing, cutting, seasoning, mixing, and blending required to get a homecooked meal on the dinner table. Prepping your meals in advance, however, can save you a lot of time. 

Once those groceries arrive from the store rinse, cut, and season all meats, fruits, and produce. Then, store them in the fridge or freezer for future use. Next, any starches or protein like beans that you plan on serving for dinner, you can cook those in large batches and store them.

Use an Online Doctor

Got a sick kid? Perhaps you’re not feeling too hot yourself? Going to the doctor is the obvious answer, but this can take up your entire day. There’s a bunch of paperwork to fill out and long waiting times leaving you stuck for hours at a time. Save yourself and your children the trouble by looking for an online doctor. For basic needs, you can schedule a virtual appointment and get prescriptions sent to your local pharmacy for easy pickup. 

Calendar and Scheduling Apps

There’s always something going on and it can be challenging to keep up with. Between the kid’s school and extracurricular activities, your job, and household responsibilities, it’s easy for time to slip away. You can, however, maximize your time by using calendar and scheduling apps. Adding all the family tasks to a calendar and setting an alarm helps you to prioritize each day so that you’re not missing anything. You’ll get instant notifications to your phone and can even sync with other devices so your kids get reminders as well. 

Cut Back

As a mother, you don’t want to disappoint your family. So, you do your best to do and be everything for them. A plate that is too full, however, is not ideal if you’re trying to manage your time more effectively. It may be necessary for you to look at your daily tasks and find ways to cut back. Maybe you can only go to a PTO meeting once a month instead of every week. Perhaps your kids take the bus to school instead of you dropping them off every day. This takes the weight off your shoulders and frees up your schedule so you can find time to focus on things that are more important to you. 

There are only 24 hours in a day and you sleep for at least 8 of them (hopefully). Trying to raise children, maintain a home, and continue your career takes up a bulk of your time and energy making your life hectic and frustrating. To try and ease your stress and live a more simplified life it is imperative that you learn how to manage your time wisely. Hopefully, these ideas have given you some inspiration on how to lighten your load.