Being a Mum and a Business Owner – How to Find the Balance
Mums are extraordinary – they manage to take care of their kids, their entire home, their husband, and they still find time and will to take care of themselves and follow their dreams. When every other person would break and quit, mums keep pushing back, learning and getting better. Being a mum and a business owner at the same time is not an easy task. Your days are filled with double chores, stress and anxiety. Everything requires your immediate attention, everyone looks up to you, and you need to be on top of your game all the time. Here are a few tips, which will help you find the balance between these two, and not lose your mind.
Multitasking won’t work – being organised will. Many people talk about multitasking, how important it is nowadays, and how all of us need to learn how to multitask. However, reality is quite different. Scientists have proven that we can’t actually do multiple things at the same time, and expect the same quality results. The human brain is not programmed to work on such a level, and even if you manage to deal with a couple of tasks at once, the results won’t be same as if you concentrated on each of them separately and gave them all your attention. This is why multitasking is not the answer – being well organised is. You need to make a list with all your duties and then try to fit them all into your schedule. You must have separate time for work, the kids and the house. If you work at home, you need to have a specially designated place for work, where kids and toys are not allowed. It may seem harsh, but the goal is for you to succeed at everything, and you need structure in order to achieve that.
Plan ahead. Being a mum and a business owner means that you’ll have to get used to some chaos in your home. So, stop dreaming of domestic perfection, this simply won’t happen. Your life will be unpredictable, your schedule will be changing all the time, and you can’t do anything about it. However, what you can do, is stay ahead of the small tasks. For instance, you can prepare morning things from the evening, this way your mornings will be less stressed and you won’t have to run around. So, things like school clothes, the coffee maker and breakfast can be prepared from the evening. You will be grateful for it, trust me.
Outsource. The statement ”If you want something done right, do it yourself” is true to some point, but when you have a house and a business on your head, you have to learn to compromise. Every woman in this position wants to be able to deal with everything on her own, but the truth is that this is impossible. Outsourcing some of your responsibilities will save you time and energy you need for more important things. Your family members are the first people you can seek help from. For instance, you can delegate some of the housework to your children. Nothing too hard or inappropriate for their age, of course – laundry, vacuuming, dusting and doing the dishes are a good start. Your partner can also pitch in, if it fits with their busy schedule, of course. And if the business workload is too much for just you, you should consider looking for assistance, but be very careful and vet all your potential candidates before making a choice.
Be flexible. We all hate when things are not going our way, but this is just how life is sometimes, and it’s not a reason to lose our minds. As I mentioned earlier, as a mum and a business owner, you will have a crazy, constantly changing schedule, many unexpected things will pop out, and you will have to deal with all of them in a professional manner. So, forget about the 9 am to 6 pm routine. As a working mum, you’re allowed to create your own schedule, in hours that fit you most. You can get up early, before your family wakes up, and squeeze in an hour for exercise and a shower. If you’re a night person, you can add a few hours of work in the evening, when your kids are sleeping. You’re the master of your time, so use it wisely.
Take care of yourself. Every woman is ready to devote herself completely for her home and family. It’s a noble idea, but it’s not very good for your health. When you also have a business to take care of, you start realizing how important it is to have some time to yourself. If you don’t get enough sleep and are not feeling well, you’ll be incapable of fulfilling all your duties properly. Tired and unmotivated people tend to make stupid mistakes. So, find some time for yourself, away from the hassle of your work and home. Maybe go to a SPA or some massage. First we need to take care of ourselves, so we can take care of others.
Author bio: Jane is a full-time mum and business owner, located in Melbourne. Her passion towards home organising and improvements help her every day to manage her company Fantastic Cleaners, which provides all kinds of cleaning services to commercial and residential clients. Her work there also inspired her to start her own blog, called Modern Housewives. There she shares all kinds of tips about what it is to be a working mother, how to take care of your home and garden, and how to have fun in the big city.
