The Amazing Balancing Act of Working Mothers — Candid, Real-Life Advice and Self-Care Tips   

Hats off to the working mothers.  It is not an easy job by any means, although some of us, somehow, have made it look easy. Regardless of industry, being a mother and a professional means you have two jobs: one is 9 to 5, paid, and consists of important meetings, brand buys, and deadlines — and the other is 24 hours, 7 days a week, unpaid, and consists of late-night feedings, diapers and tears, but yet can be the more rewarding one.   If you find yourself nodding as you are reading these two sentences, then welcome to the team, ladies.  You are on the road to becoming a professional juggler.

Motherhood is one of the most beautiful roller coasters you will ever ride on: you spend forty (or so) weeks caring for a beautiful baby in your expanding tummy, and then three dedicated months of bonding and undivided attention.  Day in and day out, this little person is your new boss.  You will feel so connected and so in love.

Yet slowly but surely, the day will come when you have to go back to work, and you will experience the most conflicting emotions you have ever felt. When you find yourself crying the night before you go back to work, keep these words in mind:  “You are doing the best you can – the best you can for your family and yourself.”

The first week will be rough, and you feel like you will never get into a routine.  That is not true, however. You will learn, sooner than you think, that you are a mommy … the most underrated superhero out there!  You will find a balance, and somehow manage to  take a shower, make breakfast, pack lunches, drop the baby off at daycare or their grandparents’ house, commute to work, conduct a meeting, ace a presentation, leave work, meet your husband for dinner, pick up the kids, make the last bottle of the night, be there for bath time, story time, bed time, watch your favorite T.V. show, and go to bed – and then do it all over again the next day.

I have been back to work for two weeks now, and I feel like the most important decision I made was to read the book The Baby Sleep Solution by Suzy Giordano.  They call her the “Baby Coach” for a reason: she has devised a six-week program designed to get your children to sleep twelve hours through the night.  If done correctly, it is the most efficient and wonderful treat you can give yourself, your husband, and your baby.  This also definitely helps to ease into a routine, which will be especially important when you go back to work.

My son is three months old now, and sleeps through the night. He also naps for three hours throughout the day, and is the most happy baby.  When I started work two weeks ago, I could not imagine how it would all work out.  Other inspiring working mothers that I have spoken to told me it gets easier and I thought, “How?  How can this ever get easier?” Than I realized that in order for this to work, I would need to really understand the best way to balance it all.   And that meant including my needs in my balancing act.

Why Self-Care is so Important for Mothers

It is very important as women that we remember to keep our spouses and children happy — but also, most of all, keep ourselves happy.  When you feel like you are burning out and running out of time, that’s the time to stop, take a breath, and commit to taking 10-30 minutes for yourself, each day, doing something to make yourself feel good, such as:

• • A facemask (an avocado one in the bath is my favorite!)
  • Meditation
  • Having a cup of coffee or tea in silence
  • Reading the paper
  • Doing yoga
  • Having some froyo
  • Going for a run that will release your stress
  • Getting a manicure

The point is to do anything that makes you feel like a happier you; at the end of the day, when you have put everyone to bed, you have to be happy with yourself first.

Some other tips to help keep everything running smoothly:

• • Do meal prep on Sunday nights so you are not rushing around during the week.
  • Lay out outfits for yourself and your kids the night before to cut out a chunk of your morning, trying to figure out what to wear.
  • Schedule a date night each week and a sitter so you can enjoy a sit-down dinner and personal, adult conversation with your husband.
  • Schedule a family game night so you stay connected to your family.

The perks of this focus on self-care and then re-connecting (cheerfully) with your family: a happy you has a great marriage and happy life. This also allows you to be the best role model you can be to everyone around you; after all, you want your children to look up to you and be proud of the wife, mother, and industry leader that you have become.

The bottom line: it’s important to understand that you should never lose a sense of you.  And when you have reached that point of realization, and commit to reminding yourself of it on a regular basis, you will already be a much happier person!