Balancing Work and Family: The Top 5 Productivity Concerns for Working Moms and How to Overcome Them
- TechinMama
- Feb 26
- 9 min read
Updated: Mar 30
As a working mom, I know first hand the challenges of balancing a career, social and family life. It can sometimes feel like an uphill battle, often leading to stress and fatigue. Not to mention the arising feelings, once you've realized and implemented the improvements, of how to eliminate the guilty feelings of wanting to prioritize yourself to improve your ability to show up for others. In this post, we will explore the top five productivity concerns working moms face and share practical solutions to mitigate and address them.
As a reminder, many of the topics mentioned are not limited to working moms, but working dads that are primary care givers for their little one(s), outside of financial responsibilities or aspiring parents. All are welcome here. Through this blog, we hope to raise awareness of these feelings in addition to how we can reduce feelings of burnout and enhance our efficiency, paving the way for a more balanced work-life experience. More importantly, informing readers that are advocating for a loved one!
Finding the Right Balance
Achieving harmony between work and family life is a common struggle for many working moms. Incorporating a social life only brings about additional challenges. Societies expectations can make this balancing act even tougher, filling us with doubts about our capabilities compared to others, while also increasing the possibilities of Imposter Syndrome. For those that may not be aware, Imposter Syndrome is defined as a psychological state, where persistent feelings of inadequacy, self-doubt, and being exposed as fraudulent, despite the obvious evidence of your achievements. Couple this with attempts to over achieve, which reduces the amount of physical or mental time and capacity available at home. A recent survey found that 6 in 10, or 59%, of working moms feel guilty about not spending enough time with their children.
My motto is, if it were that easy, we'd all be doing it the way society expects us to do it. However, 59% is more than half, and the lower percentage that I've read across some articles. This means that, and by societies standards, there are more of us feeling overwhelmed and getting it wrong, than there are getting right. Add to that, in the same study, a similar percentage felt it didn't impact career advancement. I'd challenge someone to find the correlation between the two datasets, and personally assume that the process for career advancement does not cater to parents in most organizations thus resulting in the feelings. Unfortunately, many of us do not make the correlation as early as we should. Life is a journey, so let's dive into some ways we can improve finding the right balance.
To regain control and begin your journey towards a healthy work-life balance:
Take full advantage of parental leave policies. Understanding your rights helps you establish boundaries that prioritize both your career and family.
If your company offers flexible working arrangements, don't hesitate to use them. At the time of writing this, many organizations are under RTO (Return to Office) mandates, integrating hybrid remote work, and opting to get remote right and remain full remote. Understand the industry, organization, and domain you are in and work with your management line, to ensure you set yourself up for success at home and in the workplace.
Use your vacation and sick time! I cannot stress the importance of this and the number of years it took me, to properly utilize time off.
In "How to Master Today's Tools to Boost Productivity as a Busy Mom: A Guide for Tech-Savvy Moms on the Go!" we discuss productivity apps surrounding organizing personal events and tasks. Take advantage of it.
Tip: Use apps like Leave Tracker to monitor your vacation time and ensure you're utilizing your entitlements fully, promoting a healthier balance between work and home.
Navigating Childcare Options
Childcare is another major concern for working moms. This is especially true for new moms wanting to provide the best environment for their child while they are away. If you ever encounter me in person, ask me about my commute on my first day back into the office. Pre-momhood, people work under the assumption that being a mom is innate. It's really not. I like to compare to a final exam where you don't know the grade until they go off on their own. Its condensing your own morals, values, and learnings to instill into this tiny being that you carried for almost a year. Therefore, finding reliable and flexible care is critical, but can often prove challenging, with 1 in 5 parents reporting difficulty securing quality childcare services. To make this process easier, first explore your local options:
Websites and apps like Care.com and UrbanSitter connect you with vetted childcare providers, minimizing stress and streamlining the search process.
Visit your governing states policies for childcare and education. Likely, there is a Department of Child Development and Early Education. Most will also have a scoring system for childcare facilities along with any complaints and violations.
If the above is not true, visit your Department of Health or Department of Social Services as a starting point.
Don't hesitate to reach out to other parents for recommendations and consider joining local parenting groups. These can be invaluable in sharing insights about trusted childcare resources in your area. Aim for childcare that aligns with your work hours, whether that's daycare, hiring a nanny, or collaborating with other moms for shared care.
Tip: Form a childcare cooperative with other working moms. This system allows you to share responsibilities and enjoy time for yourself, while also ensuring your children are well cared for.
Prioritizing Mental Wellness
Mental wellness is crucial for working moms, especially with the pressures we face to excel in multiple roles. As much as society has developed, it's interesting how many individuals continue to disregard the importance of Mental Health Fitness, where 66% of working mothers are reporting negative mental health impacts post pandemic. You can view the "State of Motherhood" 2024 report from Mother.ly. Building a supportive community can help. Engaging with women’s groups, either locally or online, provides a space to share experiences and gain insights on coping strategies. And if you are more like me:
Slowly incorporate a day or two for physical fitness. Physical fitness is not limited to heading to the gym and lifting weights. It can be as simple as committing to a hot bath once a week and having intense stretching sessions right at home, as a starting point. If you are past this, Yoga and Pilates does wonders for the mind, body, and chakras!
Taking a walk in your neighborhood at some cadence will provide an opportunity to get some fresh air during the day and absorb Vitamin D. If you are up for the challenge, you can incorporate light weights to keep the upper body moving.
Seek out a local counselor or therapist to assist with making sense of these feelings. Sometimes, discussing in a supervised setting with unbiased dialogue will help you to develop proactive solutions and hold yourself to a new level of accountability.
Take inventory of the diet you maintain and foods you consume. They say the way to a (wo)man's heart is through his stomach. However, we want to ensure the heart has the right vitamins, minerals, and necessary nutrients to absorb. This includes the right nutrients to feed the pituitary gland responsible for the release of important hormones.
Incorporating fitness and social activities into your routine can have positive effects on mental health. Consider using apps like MyFitnessPal for wellness tracking or Meetup to connect with others for group activities in your local area.
Tip: Treat self-care days as important meetings; schedule them in your calendar. Tools like Google Calendar can help you allocate these crucial times for your well-being without guilt.
Yoga and Pilates does wonders for the mind, body, and chakras!
Maintaining Your Personal Style
In the hustle of everyday life, personal appearance can fall to the bottom of the priority list. The mental capacity, in addition to money and time it takes to invest in your physical appearance can be overwhelming a parent prioritizing children and family. However, 75% of professionals believe that dressing well boosts confidence and productivity. In my personal opinion, productivity increases are due to the happy chemicals released during confidence boosts from being pleased with yourself. From a working young woman to a new mom on maternity leave, I found myself tossing the heels towards the back of the closet in exchange for a pair of comfortable sneakers I could wear on a daily basis, limiting opportunities to style myself for random date nights.
If you're a mom who knowingly or unknowingly experienced postpartum depression, accessorizing was not at the top of your list of things to do. In fact, you likely had a hard time formulating a list of to do things, outside of nurturing the baby. If you end up being a rarity and perfect mom, who does everything right, and always looks good doing it, kudos to you! For the rest of you, simplifying your wardrobe with versatile clothing can save you time and elevate your mood.
Instead of exchanging the heels for those everyday comfortable sneakers, invest in cute but comfortable flats and sandals. Orthotic insoles do wonders where there is not enough support for your arches.
Invest in a nice set of jewelry to complement a simple top and jeans. Fun Fact, I wore my maternity jeans for years after.
In the workplace, I prefer dresses because I am a lazy dresser. This is true, during remote work too. The summer time is a great time to throw on simple wrap, jersey, or boho dresses and a comfortable sandal.
Ditch the baby bag for a cute "Mom" or leather diaper bag. The baby is NOT wearing it, YOU are! Things I wish someone told me!
Fashion apps like Stitch Fix and Cladwell offer personalized outfit selections that can make getting dressed less stressful. Consider outfits that transition smoothly from the office to family time, ensuring you feel good in what you're wearing.
Tip: Start a quick morning routine that streamlines getting ready. Prepare your clothes and meals the night before to create smoother, more efficient mornings.
Embracing Self-Care Without Guilt
I'm not able to find a study that indicates the average time it takes for parents to eliminate the guilty feelings of going out without the kids. For some with healthy support systems, this may not be the case. For many with or without healthy support systems, it may still be the case. Many of us struggle with feelings of guilt over wanting time for ourselves. It's essential to realize that self-care is not selfish; it's necessary. As a new mom committed to exclusively breastfeeding, I found myself naturally wanting to bring my little one with me whereever I went, eliminating the events that she was not able to attend. It was a way to downplay the fact that I cannot stand routines, but was committed to successfully breastfeeding.
Although being comfortable with the decision, it wasn't until a few years into parenting that I realized the detriment it did to my interest in attending social activities guilt-free. However, what I later found is that, investing time in your well-being positively impacts how you engage with family and work. The more happy chemicals you release, the better your ability to show up in a good space for those around you. In fact, studies show that practicing self-care can lead to reduced stress levels by up to 30%. Review this study from the National Library of Medicine with the National Center for Biotechnology, for more information on how the pandemic raised increased awareness.
Due to the sensitivity of this topic, the only recommendation here is to Incorporate small self-care practices into your daily routine the best way you can. Activities like journaling or mindfulness meditation can help to alleviate guilt and promote a sense of peace, through making sense of your feelings. Apps like Calm or Headspace offer guided meditations that can foster a more positive mindset. To the spouse reading this, go ahead and get that Spa Day Gift Certificate, even if it results in you sitting in the waiting room at the spa with the baby.
Tip: Create a self-care box full of your favorite things, such as best-selling novels, skincare products, or art supplies. When you’re feeling guilty about taking a break, revisit this box as a reminder that you deserve time to relax.
Final Thoughts
The journey of a working mom is complex, and continuously evolving, but it is possible to navigate it successfully with the right tools and mindset. By tackling the challenges of work-life balance, childcare, mental wellness, appearance, and self-care, we can create a fulfilling life both at home and in our careers.
Let's remember that we are not alone. In a society where studies show, men are increasingly becoming single fathers, do not forget to lean on your allies. Building a diverse and supportive network, while utilizing available resources can enhance our confidence and effectiveness. This also helps to raise awareness of issues that are outside of the scope of our perspectives and experience. Together, we can redefine what it means to be a working parent, thus improving the ability to be a successful working mom, one empowered step at a time.
So, if you took a few minutes out of your day to read this, I enourage you to reach out for support when needed, and embrace the adventure of being a career mom with confidence and assurance! Happy Parenting!
-- Signed TechinMama
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