Mom hacks are the key to balancing the busy and stressful life of being a mom. I have found over the years that if I simply leave things up to chance and have no structure to how I handle my everyday life, things don’t go too well.
I need systems of best practice constantly in use so that I am managing my own tasks and the responsibilities I have for those around me. The mom hacks I use are all carefully chosen after years of doing the wrong things and figuring out better ways instead. It is experience that has gotten me to this more fine-tuned point.
But do I still get it wrong? Absolutely. Does my time still run away and disappear? 100% yes.
We can’t get it right all the time. But we can share the mom hacks we use to help other moms out there manage their own workload in a more effective way too.
Being a mom is tough but we know that if we don’t go it alone, things get easier.
So, without keeping you back any further, let me share with you my top 5 mom hacks I use every single day.
I hope you enjoy them! If you do, please leave a comment on the blog below and give us a follow on Facebook so you can keep up to date with all the blogs we post. Thank you 🙂
The Pomodoro Technique
One of my very favourite mom hacks of all time is using a Pomodoro clock. Based on the Pomodoro Technique, these clocks (that you can find for free online and in apps) help you to block out your time into chunks.
They encourage you to be productive for 25 minutes and then take a break for 5 minutes. You can use the clocks to add in the tasks you have for the day and estimate how much time you will need for each. Then, you can get to work in this 25-on-5-off system.
I find this technique exceptionally helpful when I am overwhelmed with the number of tasks I have to get done on any given day. As you will already know, a woman’s work is never done, and this is especially true for moms. I find that I simply have so much to do every day that if I don’t organise it in this way, it gets hectic and overwhelming very quickly.
You might think that 25 minutes doesn’t sound like a lot of time to be productive, but, trust me, it is the perfect amount of time. You get so much done working in this way and you don’t burn yourself out either.
That is exactly what we need!
Priority Lists
Again, we need more mom hacks to help us with the sheer number of tasks we have to get done per day, right?
Whether it’s laundry, doctor’s appointments, grocery shopping, pick-ups and drop-offs, homework, cleaning, money management, our own work, etc etc etc. Whatever it is, we have lots to do every single day.
One of the best ways I have found to get around this overwhelming mountain of tasks is to create priority lists of what I need to do each day. Sometimes I will even do it the night before so that I know what I am going into the next day.
We can’t always physically get everything done that we need to during the day, so creating lists in a way of prioritization makes sure that we get the non-negotiables done first. If we don’t get the things at the bottom of our list done, we don’t need to panic and they can go onto tomorrow’s list.
All of our mom hacks should be working on reducing our stress, and this is a great example of that.
Social Media Blockers
Something I have noticed that really impacts my mood and productivity levels during the day is scrolling on social media. I have spent far too much time in the past dissociatively scrolling through Instagram and Facebook, without achieving anything.
Now, to combat this, I use app blockers on my phone to manage how much time I can spend on these apps. I block myself from using certain sites during certain periods of the day so I can focus, and then I allow myself some free time in the evening when I can unwind.
You don’t have to cut yourself off entirely, but doing things in moderation is always a better plan.
No Multitasking
When we think of mom hacks, we might think of things that make us hyper-productive and allow us to achieve loads of different things all at once. But I actually want to go in the opposite direction.
One of my best mom hacks is not allowing myself to multitask.
Women are so used to multitasking and even being expected to do it. But multitasking very often simply means doing lots of things badly at once. Rather than taking your time to do one thing well, and then another thing well.
Upon reflecting on my own family habits and routine, I realised that multitasking was keeping me stuck in a state of frantic busyness every day. Slowing down and focusing on one thing at a time was much better for my mental health. And for those around me as I was in a much better mood without it!
Saying No!
The simplest one of our mom hacks? Saying no.
We don’t say “no” enough as moms. We take far too much on and we increase our own overwhelm by not saying no to the things that really don’t suit us.
We might feel guilty, overly responsible for other people’s feelings, or simply uncomfortable.
But by not saying no when we need to, we aren’t respecting our own time. We are allowing other people to take up our time and mental energy without putting ourselves first. To keep ourselves safe and happy, we absolutely need to put ourselves first and prioritize our own well-being.
If something doesn’t feel good, say no! Can’t fit it in? Say no!
The best mom hacks you will ever get will be those that encourage your own wellbeing and happiness. You deserve to be happy and to feel good, so go out there and act like it!
