7 Tips To Conquer The Multitasking Mom Life

I have always been a multitasking mom. Actually, a multitasking person overall! It’s a skill that I’ve been proud to brag about. My life has always been busy. I was a young mom, while I was in college and grad school. As a kid, I helped my mom out with my younger sibling and I babysat my younger cousins. Now I have a large family and I run my business.

I am the the textbook definition of being a multitasking mom. Multitasking is my superpower 🙂

I’m guessing that if you’re reading this, then you’re probably a multitasking momma too. And if you’re anything like me, then the multitasking superpower can also be your kryptonite. The ability to manage multiple tasks and priorities, especially on a daily basis, is a double-edged sword that can work for you or against you.

Through trial and error though, I have learned a few tips about conquering this hectic multitasking mom life, that I know can help you too. Let’s jump in!

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1. Be Realistic With Yourself, Please!

Before we can build the “multitasking house”, we need to lay out a stable foundation. You won’t feel successful, if you’re setting unrealistic standards for yourself. Set a winning path, by having realistic expectations for what you can accomplish in a day. You can and you WILL be a fabulous multitasking mom, whether you check 5 items off of your to-do list, or 20 items.

Start each day with a realistic assessment of your families wants and needs for the day. You may want to take your kids to the 3rd playdate this week, but you may actually need to work on that business plan that you keep procrastinating on. (Don’t feel bad, I’ve done it too!)

Sometimes we need to give ourselves grace, and accept that being a multitasking mom does not need to mean agreeing to every request, or signing up for every activity. Start each day with a realistic plan to conquer the tasks ahead.

2. Connect With Other Moms

Isolation can truly wear down your soul. I want to encourage you to uplift and revitalize your soul!

A great way to do this, is to connect with others. As a mom, connecting with other moms is just a wise choice. Plus, it can be fun!

Mom life can be crazy busy, yet so incredibly isolating. Since we’re busy running around, it can be difficult to make time to connect with other moms. Building a tribe with like-minded moms, will provide you with opportunities to bounce ideas off of one another, give you a soundboard for when you need to process issues, and can offer you opportunities to receive and provide support to women.

Not to mention, you never know who might have a new organizational tip, or know of a useful meditation app that could be a life-saver for you!

When life feels too busy to meet up with your tribe of moms in person, you can get creative with other ways to connect. There are many online communities, blogs (like this one!), podcasts and forums that provide support for busy moms. Check out this article, by busy mom Carolyn Garrett shares 10 Time Saving Tips for Busy Working Moms, that can easily be implemented for all moms!

3. Schedule and Plan! No, Really.

Planning is key to effectively being a productive and less stressed multitasking mom.

In order to feel accomplished, you need to identify the tasks that need to be completed before your day starts. There are so many resources that you can use to schedule and plan for the various tasks that you need to tackle on a daily basis (while saving your sanity).

I am a big fan of using the calendar on my phone and my Notepad app. Having a central place to find appointment times, birthdays, anniversaries, playdates, and school events minimizes the time that can be wasted trying to figure out where important info was written down. I use my Notepad app to record my ongoing to-list, which I can cross off or edit, directly on the app.

Starting each week with a plan and your schedule already written out, will help to decrease stress and indecision about the next steps in your day. When planning for your week first identify the required tasks or appointments first, then add in the items may not be a necessity, but are not immediately required important.

Check off your To-Do List according to what is more emergent first, then work your way down from there. At the end of the day, move anything left on the list to the next day.

Another effective strategy to use when developing your schedule, is to split your time into blocks in order to focus on certain tasks exclusively during those blocks of time. I first learned about The Block Schedule System from Jordan Page on her site Fun Free or Cheap. In this article, Jordan outlines her entire block scheduling system, and let me tell you…IT IS A GAME CHANGER!

Find the method that works best for you, then stick with it! Stay consistent with your scheduling and planning method, and it will pay off.

4. Set Timers For “Sprint” Sessions

I used to think that the best way to be a multitasking mom was to tackle several tasks at the same time, as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, this approach led to burnout and resentment.

Multitasking effectively is NOT about drowning yourself in a mountain of tasks. You won’t feel like you accomplished anything. Taking on too much at once will just leave you feeling depleted and discouraged. Not on my watch!

Set yourself up for success. Choose one task at a time to highly focus on for “sprints.” By sprints, I mean set a timer for a short but productive junk of time. It can be 20 minutes or an hour; you decide. This block of time will be centered on quality production of one task.

By doing so, the quality of that task, errand, or chore will be higher. Remember: Quality over quantity!

Plus, you’ll feel more accomplished because you allowed yourself to stop once the timer sounds off, then you can move on to the next task with the same amount of dedication. This strategy will also provide direction and focus, which can decrease your day-to-day stress. Now who doesn’t want that?

5. Schedule “Time Off” From Being On Multitasking Mom Mode

Yes, you read the title above correctly. In order to be an effective multitasking mom, you need to take time off. As a matter of fact, in order to be the best YOU that you can be, time-off is a necessity.

I added quotations to the term “time-off” in the title, because I know that the “ideal” life can often be different from reality. You get to decide that time-off means for you. It can be scheduling 10 minutes out of your day to fill a crossword puzzle, or to check out funny mom memes on Pinterest.

This mini break can also be used to focus on time for Self-Love. Check out my article, Try A Self-Love Activity To Bring Yourself Joy , where I list some great strategies on how to creatively incorporate self-love activities into your routine. You’ll thank you me later!

6. Delegate Work!

As a mom with a large blended family, which includes 6 children (5 living in our home), I had to start delegating work in order to survive. Being an effective multitasker, means that you need to know you limitations.

Your level of stress will not decrease if you are solely responsible for every part of managing your home. Every company has staff at different levels with varying responsibilities. One person cannot run a large business successfully on their own. Think of your home as your own crazy, but fun, mini corporation. Then start to delegate tasks to your partner and your adorable little humans.

Everyone in the family, who is old enough to do so, should contribute to managing your home. It could be as simple as each kid being responsible for bringing their laundry to the laundry room, putting away toys, folding laundry, clearing the table after dinner time, or taking out the trash on a certain day of the week. The list goes on and on.

You and your spouse can split cooking, cleaning or yardwork responsibilities. Schedule different tasks on rotating days to share the load. Or take turns on who has “time off” for self-care each week.

I encourage you to involve your partner, children, and supportive family members in developing a family routine that is fair and shows grace to everyone involved. By doing so, you will be teaching and modeling for your children responsibility and team work, while also looking out for your own well-being.

7. Praise Yourself Regularly!

You NEED to be your own cheerleader sometimes. This isn’t easy for a lot of moms. Trust me, this can be a challenge for me too.

Giving yourself praise is not about being arrogant or constantly bragging about what you are doing well over others. Self-praise is a form of showing yourself grace and self-compassion. Being a mom is tough. Being a woman period, is tough.

The majority of the world is already expecting you to be this “perfect” multitasking mom (rolls eyes) who has it all “together,” but you do not need to hold yourself to those ridiculous standards. Try to remind yourself that your kids are loved and that they are fed (who cares if it was peanut butter and jelly sandwiches last night, peanuts have protein! 😂), and guess what…your kids love YOU ❤️

Praise yourself for trying your best and for waking up every morning, even when you were sleep-deprived and feeling crappy. Now, pat yourself on the back for even reading this article to the end!

I hope you’re proud of YOU for wanting to learn some new tips! Great Job Momma! Now, please get some rest! 🙂

Your Turn!

What have you found to be the pros and cons to multitasking?

Do you have any go-to strategies for managing mom-life?

Let’s support each other!

~Val

In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world

John 16:33