18 Tips to Be a Less Stressed Business Mom

Less Stressed, Yes Please!

Now I know that we’ve all surfed the net and talked to our friends about how we can be less stressed when we’re working moms whether outside or inside the home. You might be thinking, oh no not another blog on the subject. There is method to my madness however, and it is this…

…we all get really slack about it and fall back into the same old rut of letting the world around us dictate our stress levels, so we need reminding that we can do something about being less stressed.

So here’s my list of 17 tips to be a less stressed business mom.

1. Menu plan. An oldie but a goodie. Plan 14 meals, stock your pantry for those meals or even better make some of them freezer meals or double ups.
2. Roster your chores e.g. washing Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, vacuum on Thursday.
3. Allocate kids chores suitable to their age. No TV until they’ve done them.
4. As much as possible have a set after-school routine.
5. One after school activity per child per week. I’ve known Moms who are running around with 3 children to multiple activities every day, including sports on Saturday. You will be less stressed and your kids will not be deprived or hate you if they can’t do everything they want. Keep the activities to the things they are really keen on doing. Make them choose.
6. Make sure you have date time/night with hubby each week. If you can’t go out, go to bed early, take the champers and chocolates with you.
7. If you’re running a business from home, give your kids a buy-in to the business. Either involve them in your business activities e.g. unpacking stock or negotiate a quid pro quo.  I would explain to my kids when I had to work extra hours, that if they could work with me on that, we would have a quality time activity together the next day or the weekend. You have to make a specific time and day and keep your promise.
8. Pay someone to do your housework. It’s cheaper than you doing it when stacked up against your hourly rate.
9. Do your most important work in your peak productivity time. I’m a morning person so I work really well then – anytime from 5.00 am.
10. Involve hubby in your planning, especially if you run a business from home. Let the rest of the household know what your day holds, especially when you have important calls or visitors.
11. Get enough sleep – go to bed earlier if necessary.
12. Organise as much as you can the night before.
13. Have at least one after school chore per day e.g. Monday is room tidy, Tuesday is toy tidy time.
14. Make TV time family laundry folding time.
15. Before you finish work at the end of the day, write your TO DO list for tomorrow.
16. Don’t be a slave to your house – what are you happy leaving e.g. unmade beds, dishes in the sink, toys on the floor.
17. Be clear with hubby who does what tasks/roles in the house e.g. puts out rubbish, pays the bills, sports activities, mows the lawns etc. You will be less stressed if these things are not forgotten and become emergencies.
18. Have special activities the kids only get to do when you especially need quiet or concentration. This works well when you have to work that extra hour and want a buy-in from the kids.

So you amazing women, please take care of yourselves. Spend most of your time on the people and activities that are of high value to you, your partner and your kids. Drop the rest. Love each other well.

If you want some help to get your life a bit more organised and less stressed while still focusing on the really important and high value activities in your life, this very practical workbook – Get It Done Guilt Free – will help you to do that.

Go well.

Fiona