Managing Life and a Career as a New Mom

Life as a new parent is full of many things: love, joy, and so much excitement. As a new parent, we quickly learn that every day brings a different adventure.

While having a child leads to many exciting new emotions, we also experience a not-so-great one – stress. Some of this stems from the fact that we are suddenly responsible for raising and caring for a new life, which comes with the territory and truth-be-told, will never fully go away (sorry).

However other forms of stress are to a degree, within your control. This stress is a result of a dramatic adjustment to your lifestyle that happens once you’re a parent. Babies require a lot of time and attention, and unfortunately (or fortunately?) the days are only 24 hours long. Between juggling a career and a growing family, it’s normal to feel like there isn’t enough time for everything.

Here are a few favorite of our favorite strategies to help better balance a new life as a career woman and a mom.

Make Use of Time Saving Hacks

When raising a child while navigating a career, it’s hard to find enough time to do everything. How are we supposed to shop for the essentials, clean the house, cook dinner, be a loving mother and a caring partner, raise a child, excel at work, and have time for self-care? Whew – we’re seriously exhausted just thinking about it.

Life is going to be busy no matter what, but we can make things a lot easier on ourselves with some time-saving hacks. Out of baby food or diapers? Instead of adding a trip to the store to the ol’ to-do list, why not order baby supplies online and have them delivered to you? That way it’s one less thing to worry about and can be done right from your phone, which makes it even faster. If you find yourself constantly rushed in the morning, pack lunch and pick your outfit out the night before. It will help your mornings run a little more smoothly and you won’t feel as rushed. Another great place to start is by looking over the weekly schedule and seeing what time-saving hacks can be implement so that there’s more time to spend with the people you love.

Maintain An Organization System That Works for You

The responsibilities that often fall onto the matriarch of the house are often understated and under appreciated. Doctor’s appointments, conference calls, bill payments, project due dates... keeping all of this organized isn’t the simplest task. You can use planners and organizers to help ease some of the stress of keeping everything in order. From simple to-do list apps to workflow management tools, there are a ton of productivity and organization applications available to help maintain sanity. By using these tools, appointments and other events won’t slip through the cracks and that you will be able to keep track of everything all from your phone/ipad/computer.

Lean on your support group

In the midst of everything that is happening around you, it can sometimes feel like you are operating alone. Remember that you have many people around you that you can lean on for support when you need it. Whether it’s your partner, parents, in-laws, or other family and friends, people will want to assist you in any way that they can. And it’s okay to ask. With that in mind, it’s also important to maintain your relationships with your loved ones. Take time to prioritize these relationships. If it’s in your budget, don’t feel guilty about hiring a babysitter and going on a date night or for drinks with friends. These relationships will help you feel more sane, connected with others around you, and remind you of all the support that is available.

Another great opportunity to find the right kind of support is to reach out to other working moms who understand the challenge of ‘having it all.’ Understanding a shared experience can make us feel a lot more seen in this whole motherhood game. And that’s invaluable.

Lastly, make sure to take the time to check in with yourself. It can be challenging to find opportunities to do so, as it can be easy to get caught up in the stress of your daily life. Your health and happiness matter – don’t forget that. As the saying goes, you can’t pour from an empty cup.

Understand You Can’t Always Do It All

Surprise, there is no such thing as balance. Sometimes a ball will drop. And that’s ok. Some balls are rubber and can bounce back (like missing an outing with a friend, a baby’s nap, an unhealthy day, etc) and some are not and will not bounce back (skipping too much work, not paying the mortgage, etc.) The key is to not drop the balls that don’t bounce back and to be ok with with dropping a few of the ones that do. No one is perfect and acknowledging this as a mom can be difficult. But allowing yourself some grace is also essential to doing your best.

Stop Comparing Yourself to Others

Scrolling through all of your various social media feeds, you’ve probably found yourself comparing your parenting abilities to those of your friends. Just remember that social media portrays everyone’s best self, and it can be unhealthy for you to compare yourself with others through this medium. Parenting is hard for everyone and we all approach it differently. And that’s more than fine. Use this as a reminder that you are the best mom that you can be and you’re doing great. Parenting is a joyous and exciting adventure, but also leads to new challenges in your everyday life. When balancing a career and your growing family, you’ll never be busier. Hopefully these tips will help you juggle everything in your life and help you sustain a less stressful and happier life.