Tips for Creating a Routine to Get You Back on Track after Time Off  

So your nine^–month journey of pregnancy has come to an end with the birth of a newborn and you are now in heavenly bliss as you begin your new endeavor of motherhood. Meanwhile, you are clicking the “pause” button at your job and simultaneously beginning maternity leave. Your days shift from the day time office to around-the-clock feedings and diapers, all while you are healing your postpartum self.

That will pass; it is all temporary, and eventually you will return to the office, at which point, things are expected to go back to “normal.” But the truth is that your work-life routine is never the same after a baby and you are entering into what is now a “new normal.”

Today’s Working Moms

First, for those wondering about the phrase “working mom,” here are some things to consider: on average, American women have their first child at the age of twenty-six, and more than 70% of American moms with kids under age eighteen are working. Women are the primary breadwinners for 40% of households with children under the age of eighteen. Additionally, it is more common for women to delay marriage and children to have a career.

According to the Harvard Business School, kids can benefit from working moms. A recent study found that women whose mothers worked outside of their home are more likely to not only have jobs themselves, but also hold supervisory responsibility at their jobs. Additionally, the study found that women with moms who worked outside of their home were more likely to earn higher wages than women whose moms stayed home. The study found that men with working moms are more likely to contribute to chores at home, and are also likely to spend more time caring for family members.

Even with a Newborn, Careers are Important to Moms

While you have added a new priority to your life, it doesn’t necessarily lessen your career as a priority. In fact, it may magnify its importance, because you are now supporting one more person in your life. But even with the importance of your career, it doesn’t change feelings of guilt or separation anxiety when you reach the end of your maternity leave and realize you have to say goodbye to your little one during the day. What happens now is that you must learn a new juggling act to balance your new life. It is something with which all working mothers mustcope, and it includes challenges that can be overcome.

Here are a few pieces of advice to help you assimilate back to the daily grind at the office, and start the “new normal.”

Take Care of Yourself
You want to be at your best, which means that even though you may feel that you have a ton of responsibilities right now, you must take care of yourself. Remember, if you are not feeling your best, you won’t be at your best for the people around you. So your health and wellness is a priority for many reasons. Make sure you are getting the nutrition you need to be healthy. Drink plenty of water and eat healthy. Focus on the five food groups throughout the day (you’re going to be teaching your baby about the five food groups when he or she gets older!). Plus, you are going to be a role model. Now is as good of a time as any to brush up and get in a healthy routine.

If you can’t find time to go to the gym, if nothing else, walk. Walk at night or in the morning before work with the stroller, and get some fresh air. If it is cold or bad weather, find a local indoor mall or someplace inside that you can walk laps. No time to walk outside office hours? Walk on breaks at work. Are you using your breaks for lactating? Walk on lunch. Short on time at lunch? Take your lunch with you on the walk. Bring a sandwich along the way. The point is, going back to work after maternity leave means that you will probably have to get creative with making time in your schedule for things.

Learn to Let Go
Let’s face it, you can only do so much. You won’t have time to do everything that you did before the baby. So, prioritize your schedule and, yes, let some things go. Overwhelming yourself will make you tired, rundown and frustrated. Ask yourself what needs to be done, and what can you do without. Pick and choose what really needs to be done. Don’t feel badly about what you can’t do. Feel happy about things you do need to focus on, your loved ones and your career. 

Weekends are for Family
Weekends are a good time to catch up on your own projects, but remember to focus time on your family. Put away distractions. Stop checking email. Stop checking social media. Stop looking at your cell phone every minute. Just focus on your little one. Plan an “excursion” or an outing, even to a local park. Make the limited time you have really count: plan something where you can eliminate distractions. Take plenty of pictures. As your baby gets a little older, you can show him or her the pictures of how you spent your time together. For the time being, it is something you can keep by your side at work. 

It’s About the Quality of Time, Not the Quantity
Remember, as your baby gets a little older, he or she won’t be keeping tally of the hours you spend together. Instead, he or she will remember how you made them feel, how you made them laugh, and how you made them happy. Even if your time together is limited when you go back to work, make sure the time that you do spend together is, really, quality time.