Being a mom is a full-time gig with no deadline, you are always on the move, and every second counts. Sometimes, it can be overwhelming, exhausting, and mentally draining. If you are a busy mom, we have good news! This article will share simple time-saving hacks for busy moms to help you stay productive.
From setting realistic goals to automating your bills, and other organization hacks, these tips will help you maintain healthy mental health as you navigate motherhood.
How Can A Busy Mom Save Time?
Saving time as a busy mom might sound like a mundane task, but it is not impossible if you incorporate the right habits into your daily routine. Let’s not sugarcoat it: If you are a new mom finding your feet, it can be depressing the first few months, but with the right attitude, you will smash this phase like a boss.
Not only new moms but even two-time moms usually feel this way. There is simply no manual to balancing motherhood and career. However, with the right approach and actionable hacks, we believe busy moms can care for their babies while still being efficient at work.
To save time as a new mom, it is important to acknowledge this face of your life and understand that it’s not going to last forever. Be easy on yourself and seek help where necessary.
Talk to older moms and also remember to try out these time-saving hacks for busy moms that we will share later in the next paragraph.
Also read: How To Improve Work Efficiency
How Can A Busy Mom Be Productive?
Given how delicate motherhood is, one would think being productive as a busy mom is like finding a needle in a haystack, but hey! It is doable! You don’t need to put your life on hold to be the perfect mom. Scratch that! You don’t need to be the perfect mom, just being there for your kids when they need you is enough.
Erase the illusion of being a perfect mom off your thoughts because trust me, nothing like that exists. Everyone’s just navigating life while putting their best foot forward hoping that it counts for something. No one has it figured out not even your mentors and other people you look up to.
So yes! It is possible to be productive as a busy mom although it may come with a few opportunity costs, the bottom line is that it is very possible to be productive as a busy mom if you judiciously follow these time-saving hacks will share in this article.
Easy Time-Saving Hacks For Busy Moms
These are easy time-saving hacks for busy moms you should implement to help you boost productivity while juggling many activities as a busy mom. They are simple, realistic, and easy to follow through:
Set Goals
We can’t talk about time-saving hacks and not mention goal setting. As a busy mom, it is very important to set goals on what you want to achieve and map out realistic strategies to help you achieve that.
Also note that, when setting goals, being in touch with reality is key so you don’t set yourself up for frustration. For example, if you just put to birth, it is imperative to set a realistic timeline for going back to the workforce. It doesn’t matter if you work from home or work from the office, what matters is knowing what is important at a certain time and setting realistic measures to achieve that.
The best goal-setting technique is the SMART goal technique which has been proven over time to do justice to human activities.
Here is a typical SMART goal: “I want to lose 15kg by the end of the third quarter”. This is what goal setting is not like: “I want to lose some kg soon”.
What makes the first quote a SMART is that it is specific (15kg), measurable (15kg can be measured), relevant (fitness), and timebound (end of third quarter).
So as a busy mom who wishes to save time, it is recommended that you follow this technique when setting your goals so you are burnt out, confused, and all over the place like a headless chicken.
Meal Prep
Another easy and simple time-saving hack for busy moms you can employ to stay productive is adopting the meal prep strategy.
Incorporating meal prepping into your routine would not only save time but ensure that there is food readily available for the kids while you focus on other activities that demand urgent attention.
With meal prep, you can cook varieties of meals in bulk and serve them in the freezer so you don’t have to run to the store now and then.
Maybe you like your food freshly cooked, you can also prep the ingredients so they can come in handy when you are ready to cook the full-course meal.
For a mom looking to save time to boost productivity, meal prep is something you should incorporate into your strategy if you’re not already doing it.
Establish A Cleaning Routine
One of the time-saving hacks for busy moms you would love is having an established routine for laundry and cleaning. This will not only save time but stay organized and tidy at all times.
To establish a cleaning routine, identify your cleaning pattern; what time of the day do you enjoy cleaning? Is it when the kids are out in school or when they are deep asleep? Understanding these patterns would help you decide on the best time and day to set aside for cleaning.
Some people typically like to clean on a weekend, however, if most of your work activities fall during the weekend, you may have to find a day during the week to take care of your laundry and other essential parts of the house that need cleaning to maintain a healthy environment for you and the kids.
Delegate Tasks
Hello moms, there is no award for the best suffering mom nor is there a recognition for the most messy mom, so here is your cue to outsource tasks as much as possible. You can delegate tasks to either a family member, your partner, or your eldest kid.
If you can afford to employ the services of a housekeeper or a nanny, don’t hesitate to do so. Your children need a healthy and happy mom not a burnt-out, exhausted and sad mom.
Shop Online
One of the activities that tend to eat deep into our time is market runs, which can take as much as 3-5 hours if not managed properly. Hence, it is important to take advantage of online grocery shopping to save time.
Fortunately, tons of stores offer online shopping options so you don’t have to miss out on your favorite store. And in case your favorite store is not online, you can leverage social media platforms to find stores near you that offer online shopping to save your time and sometimes, a few bucks.
Automate Your Bills
One of the simple time-saving hacks for busy moms you should try out is automating your bills. Sometimes, you can get so overwhelmed with other activities and forget that your bills are due leading to incurring extra charges on late payments.
To save yourself the stress of running helter-skelter sorting out bills, it is recommended that you automate your bills according to when it is due.
Fortunately, some financial technology apps can serve this purpose seamlessly, you just have to find them on the internet.
Alternatively, you can also set reminders for when your bill is due so you don’t have to incur extra charges for late payment.
Restrict Your Screen Time
Scrolling social media aimlessly to catch up with celebrity news and trends is great but to what cost? The time you’re using for social media scrolls can be used for a quick nap or even to get work done.
Sometimes, scrolling social media can be done unconsciously because it usually does start with one notification either on WhatsApp or TikTok, and, voila! One hour has passed by with nothing achieved.
So as a busy mom wishes to stay productive, you should consider setting your screen time, and yes! Stick to the time limit and focus on other activities.
Acknowledge Your Weakness
One thing moms do is mask themselves as superhumans who have got it. You don’t have to masquerade yourself as a superhuman. So be careful to not put up a strong personality when indeed, you’re dying and need help.
Play to your area of strength and acknowledge your weakness so you can seek help either professionally or from family and friends.
You may be a boss babe who leads teams and business executives to success but struggles with motherhood, acknowledge that this is okay and there is nothing wrong with seeking help from someone from trusted partners.
Create A To-do List
It is very hectic to just wing your day as it comes without proper planning and outlined activities that need to be done.
Having a to-do list would help you stay organized, be more productive, and achieve success without feeling overwhelmed.
Conclusion
As a busy mom who is at the edge of falling apart, help is here. You don’t have to feel like a hot mess all the time if you follow these simple time-saving hacks for busy moms of setting goals, meal prepping, creating a cleaning routine, and other tips we have shared in this article.
Did we miss out on any useful tips? Kindly share with us in the comments and share this article with other busy moms in your network.
