Admin
December 23, 2021

Being a mother can get challenging, especially if you are a working mom. 

Often, being a working mother will make you preoccupied with both household  and  work tasks that may bring you to stressful situations. It can also affect both how you work and can lessen your time with your family and personal life. 

We’ve asked several working moms to share their experiences and challenges as a working mom and how they overcome it:

For Carole Pacis, a Marketing Manager, being a working mom is a balancing act. She shares, “It can be challenging if you are without household help. You have to manage the household, and work while being there for your kids. Finding time for yourself is also a challenge and sometimes when you do there is a feeling of guilt. It is also hard to keep a good headspace. ”

As for Czarina, a Chief Operations Officer, one of the challenges she faces as a working mother is blurring of boundaries between work and home and the expectations you set for yourself are sometimes not met:

“You wake up and you’re already in your office. You take your coffee break but you see your chores waiting for you. You then think, let me be productive and do these chores while on break. Then, you see your child. You remember they’re only little once…  You go through the motions then your shift ends unnoticed. Unintentionally, you’ve brought work at home cos hey, you’re already home. What’s another hour or 4 of responding to emails? We’re still at work anyway…. Finally home 24/7? We can be hands-on parents! We can be those parents we read about who homeschool and have IG-worthy homes. Work is in the comfort of our own home? We’re in our element. We can focus more. We can do more. But I get tired and now disappointed too because I wasn’t able to meet these “ideals” I’ve set. ”  

5 Effective Stress Relief Tips for Working Moms

Given these situations shared by most working mothers, here are some tips to help you reduce stress:

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1. Start your day in peace.

Right after waking up, take a few minutes to take some deep breaths and meditate. Take this time to reflect and think about your intentions for the day. You can start by focusing on thinking about positive things and affirmations which you can hold onto as you go through your daily tasks and activities. If you start your morning at peace, the rest will follow throughout the day!

2. Plan and organize your day ahead.

When starting your day, it is important to take time to plan your day ahead. Anticipating everything that could happen throughout the day and creating an organized schedule can help in reducing stress
Mommy Carole shares, “Sticking to a routine and having things scheduled really helps!” 

Set your goals for the day and make sure they are specific, achievable and realistic goals to avoid being overwhelmed by both tasks at household and work. 

3. Take care of yourself by taking breaks.

To maintain the kind of energy and focus required to give your best for your family and your job, it is important for working moms to care for themselves as well! One of the most effective ways for stress management is giving yourself time to rest. You start by allowing yourself to get enough sleep, eating healthy and drinking a lot of water and taking breaks in between your activities throughout your day. This helps you avoid burnouts and can help you recharge your energy. 

4. Set boundaries.

Being a working mom means playing a lot of different roles whether it is for work or for your family. At the end of the day, we all just want to be the best in all of those roles. Sometimes, it can be a challenge to say ‘no’ to every responsibility that comes in our way. This can be a cause of stress as you become overwhelmed with all the tasks given to you. That is why it is important to set boundaries between work and your personal life. Always remember that time for work is just time for work, and time for family is time for family. 

5. Find support and help.

Everyone needs a support system and there are things you should not go through alone. Family and friends can help you ease your stress and you shouldn’t be afraid to ask for their help. 

Mommy Czarina shares, “Starting by being open & honest with ourselves on our limitations, fears and problems THEN sharing them. Who knows what the universe-  or your boss, your colleague, your partner- has to offer. Quotes say that “it takes a village to raise a child” and “alone we can do so little; together we can do so much”, I say to get there, we need to be open to that first and let it be known second.” 

Often we don’t realize that they are more than willing to lend you a hand if only you ask them. Supportive relationships can help you be a better mother for your children and help you do your best at your job! 

Being a mother will never be an easy job to do, even more challenging when working. Always remember that in order for you to take care of your family, especially your children, you have to also take care of yourself by managing your stress better and keep in mind what’s important: being there for your kids and being the best mother you can be for them!

You got this, mommies!

Sources: verywellmind.com, urbanbalance.com, intermountainhealthcare.org

Image sources: gpointstudio from Freepik, yanalya from Freepik, hakaridore from Freepik