The Productivity Secrets of Successful Working Mothers

As a working mother, it can often feel like you are constantly juggling multiple roles and responsibilities.

I have experienced my fair share of guilt. I love my job and am passionate about teaching, but it often feels like there aren't enough hours to complete everything.

One of my biggest sources of guilt is the feeling that I am not spending enough quality time with my children. When I leave for work in the morning, I often feel like I am missing out on important moments in their lives.

Another source of guilt is the pressure to be a perfect teacher. I want to be the best teacher I can be for my students, but at the same time, I want to be a good mother. It can be challenging to balance both roles and give each the required attention.

Over time, I've learned some tips and tricks that have helped me maximise my productivity while ensuring I have enough time for myself and my family. In this article, I'll share some of my best advice on doing just that.

Set clear goals and priorities.

One of the biggest challenges of working mothers is feeling like there are never enough hours in the day. That's why setting clear goals and priorities for yourself is essential.

Start by listing everything you need to accomplish in a given day or week, then rank those tasks in order of importance. This will help you stay focused on what matters and prevent you from getting sidetracked by less important tasks.

Putting these tasks into a To-do list will help alleviate the stress of remembering these tasks.

Plan.

Planning ahead is essential for any busy person, but it's especially important for working mothers.

Take some time each evening to plan out your schedule for the next day, including any meetings or appointments you have, deadlines you need to meet, and tasks you need to complete.

This will help you stay organised and make the most of your time. I always include a daily highlight in this planning; this is the one task that has to be accomplished in the day.

Use technology to your advantage.

There are countless apps and tools available that can help you stay organised and maximise your productivity.

For example, you could use a task management app like Todoist to keep track of your to-do list or a time-tracking app like Toggl to help you stay focused and avoid distractions.

Take some time to explore the different options available and find the ones that work best for you. Then, as always, ensure you are using these applications, rather than procrastinating by setting them up.

Delegate when possible.

As a working mother, you must recognise that you can't do everything alone.

Look for opportunities to delegate tasks to others, whether that means asking your partner to take on more household chores or delegating some of your work responsibilities to a colleague.

This will help you free up more time for yourself and reduce your overall stress levels. Ensure you don't just delegate to work more; sometimes delegate to relax and read a good book.

Take breaks.

It's easy to fall into the trap of thinking that you must constantly work to be productive, but that's simply not true.

In fact, taking regular breaks can help you be more productive in the long run. Take breaks throughout the day to stretch, get some fresh air, or recharge your batteries. You could use the Pomodoro Technique to help with this.

The Pomodoro Technique helps people focus on completing tasks by breaking them down into 25-minute intervals called Pomodoros, followed by short breaks.

To use the technique, set a timer for 25 minutes and work on a single task until the timer goes off. Then, after each Pomodoro, they take a short break before starting another one.

Be Successful

By implementing effective productivity strategies, you can find success both at work and at home. Remember to set realistic expectations for yourself, prioritise self-care, and focus on one task at a time. With dedication and determination, you can overcome the challenges of being a working mother and achieve your goals.

The obligation for working mothers is a very precise one: the feeling that one ought to work as if one did not have children, while raising one's children as if one did not have a job - Annabel Crabb