Let me start by saying that working motherhood isn’t easy. You want to continue to excel in your career and have time to be the mom you want to be. That balance isn’t easy for the most experienced mom. It’s even harder when you’re starting your working motherhood journey, trying to find a new rhythm while sleep-deprived. Working smarter is a part of creating greater work-life balance. I’m sharing 6 tips to work smarter for new working moms.
You are not alone
Let me start by saying this moment of motherhood has been even more of a challenge for many. Work-life might look a bit different right now with more employees working from home. There are still the usual struggles too. Your baby might be waking up every few hours. Don’t be discouraged by the unicorn stories of babies sleeping through the night at 3 months. You might be struggling with breastfeeding. Maybe you’re trying to get back to your pre-baby weight or figuring out how to eat healthy while getting into the rhythm of post-maternity leave. Don’t feel alone in any of these challenges. You are in good company.
Tip #1: Plan your time
I’m talking work and personal time. Plan your week on Sunday and your day on the night before. I take 15-20 minutes on Sunday to plan my week, setting goals and priorities, and quickly consider general flow for the week. And then each night plan for the next day, which takes 10-15 minutes.
Instead of only reacting to things throughout the day, proactively schedule time. Consider client deadlines and think about working on your business or career, not just responding to client or team needs. Look at what events or meetings are on the calendar and consider how that impacts the week and daily workflow. That way, when (not if) things come up, you’ll know how to reprioritize.
Here’s the thing to keep in mind. You won’t be equally productive every day. You might have been up with your child in the middle of the night because of teething or your baby might have gotten up early (yep, it happened to my littles too). Whatever the reason, give yourself grace. You can adjust the week plan and get back to making things happen tomorrow.
Add another little step in the mix. Compare your week-long and daily plan with your significant other. This is a great habit for many reasons, one of which is dealing with childcare emergencies that arise.
Tip #2: Break all tasks and projects into smaller bites
Life after baby is different. We need to think differently about work. Instead of thinking about a big project, consider its many parts. It’s helpful to break it all down into 10-15-minute bites since that is much more doable with an often choppy day. Start working on those small things and they will add up over time. You’ll see the progress instead of feeling like you’re not getting anything done.
Tip #3: Consider how you work
Before kids (BK), you might have had stretches of time to focus and get things done. You could get mountains done while managing with consistent work interruptions. Life after baby might have a lot more interruptions, especially if you’re working at home, even if you have help. Time blocking or batching may no longer work and you might be searching for a new productivity method. Consider the Pomodoro technique, where you work 25-minute work blocks + 5-minute breaks. After a few rotations, you get a 15-minute break. The big trick is to plan for the 25-minute and 5-minute increments to truly maximize your time.
Tip #4: Boundaries matter
When it comes to work-life balance, having boundaries can make things easier. Without boundaries, you’ll have to work harder across the board.
Know your priorities and have that be the lens with which you look at the world as you add to the mix or to you to-do list. For example, do you want to work out during lunch (a great way to help manage stress and practice self-care)? Want to be home for dinner each night?
Put things on your calendar to ensure the things you care about happen. I don’t know about you, but if it’s not on my calendar, it doesn’t always happen. Don’t rely on memory post-baby. Mommy brain is a real thing, especially when you’re tired.
One final note here. One of the ways to ensure boundaries and not miss things is to define emergencies and have everyone who touches a project agree to these. Have the protocols for dealing with these emergencies in place upfront. Getting back from maternity leave is a great time to do this.
Tip #5: Create a work tribe
Your work tribe includes your colleagues, especially fellow working moms, allies, mentors, and sponsors. It could also include friends who you can go to for advice about the professional side of things. You want to surround yourself with a tribe of people who support your needs as a working mom (yes, this starts at home but more on that on another post). It’s helpful to find at least a few women who are a bit ahead of where you are on their working motherhood journey. They can be colleagues or mentors. They can provide you with ideas, tips, and advice as well as answer your questions. And sponsors will help open doors for you so that you’re spending less time doing this and more time making things happen. Read more on my blog about mentors and sponsors if you have questions about how these roles help you as a working mother.
Tip #6: Pumping tips for new working mamas
In addition to the 5 tips to work smarter for new working moms, I’m including pumping tips for working mamas like you. Pumping absolutely impacts your worktime. These tips helped me when I pumped for almost a year when I was still working at a large corporation.
- Take a photo of your child and something that has baby’s smell. It can help with getting the flow to kick in.
- Find a rhythm that works for you. Block off time on your calendar when you need to pump. See if you need music. Timing, breast massage before pumping, etc.
- Consider olive oil on your nipples. Ask your pediatrician and/or lactation consultant about this one. This was a recommendation from the NICU lactation consultant and it really helped me avoid chafing. Also make sure you have the right sized flanges because this absolutely matters.
- Have extras of all little parts in your pump bag. The last thing you want is something ripped or broken because it sucks to have to delay pumping for hours.
- Stay hydrated. Hydration always matters, but it especially matters when breastfeeding as a lack can impact your milk supply. Always have a bottle of water on hand.
We’ve covered 6 tips to work smarter for new working moms. What questions do you have as a new working mom? If you’re a more experienced working mama, what do you share with your new working mom friends and colleagues (essentially, what would you add)?
Looking for more tips? Don’t forget to grab your copy of The Mompowerment Guide to Work-life Balance (As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases), featured on several lists of top gifts for new mothers.
