TIPS ON FINDING TIME TO RELAX AS A WORKING MOM

I have been a work from home momma since the pandemic has started. I have never left the house since April 2020. My world definitely became smaller – house, garden, park (for some exercise) and back.  

The biggest challenge so far of this work from home set up, is how to completely delineate the mommy chores from my writing tasks. Or shall I say, how to blend in the two without creating too much havoc in my mental wellbeing.  Mommy concerns can get too complicated  and overwhelming that I have to concentrate on resolving them, before I can even finish an article deadline.  

For any working mom like me, time is a valuable and something that never seems to be enough. When you think about all the things that needs to be accomplished within one day, sometimes, SELF CARE and personal priorities seem to at the bottom of the list. When a mom forgets how to take care of herself, this results to burnt out and stress.   

As mom, it is very important that we take good care of ourselves, physically and mentally so we can function well in our work, and in taking care of our family.   

TIPS FOR WORKING MOMS IN MANAGING STRESS

SET BOUNDARIES.  SET PRIORITIES.

As a working mom I play many roles: chef, shopper, nurse, cleaner, laundry woman, gardener… aside from being a mom, wife and freelance writer.  I want to be the BEST in all of these roles, but I need to accept that goal is impossible. And It is okay not to be perfect in all of those roles. That is the first step: acceptance.  I set boundaries, learned to say “yes” and “no” to different requests.  

PLAN AHEAD  

There are specific days when I get too busy with work. Days before, I inform the family of this hectic schedule, and I always ask for their help and cooperation with other household chores. I don’t have to be a “supermom-getting-all-the-chores-done” every day. There are days that I become a manager, and designate tasks.   

STAY CONNECTED 

With two teens glued on their computers most of the day for their online education, the husband editing on his computer, and I spent hours producing and writing content, there are times we don’t get to see and talk to each other.  We aim to have some focused time with each other. My husband and I start our day with important talks at breakfast. While dinner is connecting time with the teens.  

FOCUS ON YOUR BODY. GIVE YOUR MIND A MENTAL BOOST 

In a middle of a hectic schedule, I try to squeeze in activities that I truly enjoy. This includes gardening, playing with my pets and some DIY projects. In between virtual meetings, if I feel exhausted and drained, I just play online games to relax, take a breather, and at the same time, giving my mind its needed mental boost.  

Happy to have discovered https://www.solitaire.org where you can find of a collection of simple, well-loved online games that you can play on your spare time or while taking a breather from work.  

https://www.solitaire.org/zuma-ball/

https://www.solitaire.org/daily-word-search/

My personal favorites are the ZUMA BALL ONLINE and the DAILY WORD SEARCH. The former can be quite addicting. I can play it for hours!  I usually play Zuma just before I sleep, using the ipad, because I can easily target the colorful ball using my fingers rather than with the aid of a mouse.  While the latter is the perfect game if I want to give my brains a little exercise when it goes on the dozing off mode after working for several hours.  

 

The number of fun games you can play is huge, there is definitely one game that will best fit your mood.  And hey… it is also worth mentioning that word games have benefits too! Like improve your thinking, reduce the risks of dementia and stimulate new learning.

Some would think that working can add extra stress to a mother, but in actuality, it can benefit the household in so many ways. Now that we know how to relax after a long day of work, we can function more as a mom and wife, without sacrificing career and work.