How to Stay Focused on Your Work Life While Being a New Mom
Motherhood is truly an incredible journey. You get to create a home for a little one inside of your body for nine months. Then, you get to be a critical part of the process that brings them into the world. Afterward, you have the opportunity of guiding this person through life. You’ll introduce them to new concepts, ways of life and more. It’s an awesome responsibility. However, it doesn’t come without its fair share of challenges. In the beginning, you’ll see why motherhood tends to be synonymous with a lack of sleep. However, you don’t want to lose yourself in the midst of the motherhood journey. Consider the following ways you can stay focused on your work life while being a new mom.
1. Recognize that this is a new season.
The old schedules that used to work might not fit well into this new life with a baby. If you’re an employee with a 9-5 job, chances are your child will be in the care of a nanny or daycare. You’ll have to respect their hours of operation. This means you’ll have to make sure you pick up your baby in a timely fashion. This means that when you walk into the office doors, efficiency is key. Gone are the days where you used to hang out by the water cooler to connect with your colleagues. If you need to get into the office a bit earlier to get work done, do what you have to do. Talk to your boss about adjusting your hours so that you can get your work done and pick up your child at the right time.
2. Ease back into work.
Once you’ve taken time off for maternity leave, it can be really easy to get used to the routine of staying home with the baby. This is one of the reasons why so many women hate the thought of returning back to work once they have their baby. The key is to develop a routine that reminds you that work is just around the corner. You can ease back into work by doing tasks that remind you of why you love the work you do. Read work-related articles for a few minutes each day. Take time to consider your career goals once you get back into the swing of things. When you’re able to make goals, you’ll end up becoming more motivated to tackle them.
3. Make time for prep work.
When you’re caring for a baby, you can’t forget about your home. This is why it’s a great idea to carve out time for simple activities like cutting and prepping your weekly meals while the baby is in the crib. Create a list of tasks you’d like to do each day. As you commit to each task, you’ll build the confidence to keep going. Don’t give yourself a laundry list of things to do. However, start each day with a plan.
4. Take advantage of systems to alleviate the load.
If you work from home, there are certain tasks you can outsource. While you’re at home, you can let the cleaners in to take care of the home. Order your groceries online, set a time for delivery and alleviate the stress of loading the baby in the car for a grocery shopping trip.
5. Reach out to your people.
Reach out to your family members and friends. You’re not in this by yourself. You’ll need support. Ask friends and family members if they’re willing to take a shift in order to help you get work done. If you have a few people who are willing to take turns throughout the month, you can fill in the gaps with childcare. If you have a spouse, the two of you can create schedules that allow you two to thrive and be present as parents. There’s no reason why one parent has to stay home while the other goes out to tackle their dreams.
Many mothers quickly realize that their lives aren’t the same after they’ve given birth. This isn’t a negative revelation. As a new mom, you’ll just need to rise to the challenge of rediscovering yourself. Learn how to adjust your mindset. As you learn to soak in the lessons of each day and commit to being your best self, you’ll be able to find the balance of your career and motherhood.
