Real Happy Mom

Practical tips and encouragement for moms

15 Time Management Strategies For the Overwhelmed Mom

Do you feel like you are falling apart because of all of the demands of life and little time?

Time is one thing we can’t get back or get more of. And how we utilize it is important.

Developing time management skills will not only allow you to get more done during the days and weeks, but also allow you to do more of the things you enjoy.

What if you had time management strategies in place so that you could get more done and be more efficient?

I’ve got you covered.

I’ve got 15 time management strategies for the overwhelmed mom that are sure to help make you more productive.

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

Pin this for later!

TIME MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES FOR THE OVERWHELMED MOM

Set Goals!

Divine | Ladies Make Money Online

I have multiple online businesses that I manage and this means I have to manage my time effectively to get things done properly.

The best tips I have for you as a business entrepreneur is to first understand what your goals are.

Are you doing this to make money or just to offer value. Mine is to make money and with this in mind, I make a list of things that actually make me money and work on these more.

With a few businesses, I try to work on each business each week so every business gets my full attention during a certain week!

Natalie | The Blueberry Pail

Writing down my weekly goals helps me to stay focused and on track.

I use a weekly plan printable that I created, as well as a pocket calendar to track my progress.

These two tools have helped me to make this my most productive year inspite of it probably being my busiest!

Charlie | Living Tickled

I block my time, so that when I’m working on whatever I’ve scheduled, I don’t feel guilty about being somewhere else.

I block time for my kids, time to work on my business, and time to get errands done.

I also make sure that when I’m working during my blocked time, I am productive. I don’t just make a time goal; I make sure I set a completion goal for that blocked time.

Try automating task that are time consuming, don't require a personal touch and doesn't need your attention to get it done.

Tweet

Automate

Julie | Fab Working Mom Life

I automate things that don’t require my attention so I can focus on more important tasks.

This means putting all my bills on auto pay, setting up recurring purchases.

This also involves batching tasks to schedule for a time ahead, such as my social media and Pinterest shares.

I batch schedule those for weeks or longer ahead in one sitting, and this clears up my schedule to allow time to focus on important tasks in larger stretches of time (both at work and on the blog).

Time Batching

Nadalie | It’s All You Boo

As a one-women show and full-time blogger with two websites, clients, courses and so much to do everyday, I’ve found so many ways to maximize my time.

But my absolute favorite is to time-block and task-batch. This means that you simply dedicate blocks of time, whether it’s an hour or a week to accomplishing one task (or a set of similar tasks).

For example, as a blogger that means I’m scheduling all my blog posts for the month in 4 days. That’s all I’m doing, then moving onto the next task.

If you’re a busy mom, that means you can spend one day cleaning the kicthen, the next day doing laundry, instead of trying to do it all.

When you single-task actually accomplish so much more.

Research has shown that multi-tasking or switching from one task to the other decreases your productivity by up to 35%. How much time are you losing trying to do all the things at once or even in one day?

Amy | Two Week Notice Society

After 2 years of working from home, I’m still working out the kinks of this new life of mine.

I know I am finding my pace and on the right track now that I am using time-blocking to take ownership of my day. Time blocking is exactly what it sounds like.

Blocking segments of time and dedicating these segments to designated tasks. In a nutshell, time blocking is scheduling your day! Instead of having a list that makes you feel frazzled; you have a neat calendar with scheduled times for tasks.

Susanna | The Nordic Mum

Batch working has been a time saver for me.

When you are busy with kids, house, and work you need to plan ahead. I tend to plan the weeks’ menu on the weekend.

I also do the big shopping on Sunday to make sure we are planned ahead for the week.

I also cook in batches and freeze the rest to be eaten on the weekend or when we have run out of ideas for the month. I also schedule all my appointments, kids sport and work weeks ahead.

I use my planners to make sure I am top of everything. This saves you from stress, money and forgetting what’s happening the next day.

We have a weekly calendar that you can wipe clean where we plan the day ahead. This is used for all our appointments, sports, work commitments and pickups with the kids. Not sure how I survived without it!

Kristine | Blogging About Momming

As a busy mom, blogger, and virtual assistant, there’s only so much time to manage all the roles I play every single day.

With a combination of time boxing and batching similar tasks, you can learn to focus on one thing at a time and get more done!

I create a schedule of time specific tasks every week (like appointments) then fill the remainder of my days with time blocks (like 1 hour cleaning or 30 minutes for blog tasks) and fill those times with tasks I’ve prioritized and applied time estimates to (time boxing).

While this sounds overly structured, it actually allows for greater flexibility when things come up that may throw a normal schedule off course.

Plan on Sunday

Irena | One Point of View

The best thing that helped me be more productive and actually get things done is taking half an hour every Sunday evening to plan the week ahead.

This was really life changing to me because not only did I get more things done during the week, but I was also less stressed out.

Every morning I know exactly what needs to be done that day, when it will be done and how much free time I have that day – which is super important.

RELATED POST: This is How to Prepare for the Week on Sunday

Family Command Center

Mallory | Mom of W.A.R., Hear My Roar

My family command center is one of my favorite areas of my home!

I am able to keep everything kid and school related in one area. It saves so much time!

In the mornings, I can easily find lunchboxes to pack. I also don’t miss out on any school notices or due dates since I can clip them up beside our family calendar.

Having the family command center allows me to save time searching for items the kids may have misplaced or buried under something else. I have more time to devote to house work and family time! It’s such an amazing addition to any household.

Prioritize Your Task

Tiffany | Saving Talents

Imagine that your day is like a jar that you need to fill up with rocks and sand. If you put the sand in first, then the rocks on top, the jar will overflow.

If you put the rocks in first, however, and then pour the sand in, then the sand will fill in around the rocks and everything will fit.

The “rocks” are the most important things in your day, like set appointments or spending time with your children. Put those down in your schedule first. Then fill in the remaining time with the less-important “sand” activities, like errands or cleaning.

Valerie | Thoughtful Neighbor

I like to make daily to do lists, but a lot of times my list ends up becoming a brain dump of everything I need to remember. It was impossible to get through my list since I had so many items on it.

Now I keep a separate list with projects, like decluttering the basement, and other things I need to remember but don’t need to be completed right away.

I prioritize for each day and only write down as many things as I can realistically get done. That way I get the most important things done, and if I have extra time I can pick an item off of my “when I have time” list.

Desiree | What Lies Above

My best time management hack starts with prioritizing.

I have a spreadsheet that helps me figure out what tasks will give me the most bang for my time and rank them accordingly.

I divide my morning into two-hour intervals. I start with the top task and then try to add in as many quick high-ranking tasks into my first 2-hour interval as possible.

I continue on down the list accordingly Because I work from home, I don’t get dressed for the day until I get my must-do’s for the day completed.

Amy | Amy Edge & Co.

I don’t actually believe that *most* people suffer from a lack of time-management skills, I think the majority of people lack priority-management skills.

When you change your focus from how to magically add hours to your day to using your time intentionally and managing yourself and actions you are able to quickly check off your to-dos.

My top tip is this: Schedule Everything. You should always have a plan to attack your days’ priorities rather than reacting to them.

The night before take 5-10 minutes and pencil in your objectives.

What are things you have to do? What are your non-negotiables?

Online Shopping

Marlene | Life with Mar

Instacart!

Seriously, grocery delivery has been an absolute game changer around here. We get groceries delivered within 2 hours and since going to the grocery store with toddlers can be such a nightmare, this ends up saving time and stress.

I recommend watching prices carefully, they are typically similar but can be a little higher. But to be honest even if they are slightly higher, since I’m not at the store picking up things I don’t need, I still end up saving money!

RELATED POST: 8 Secrets to Keeping Your Home and Life Organized

Meal Prep

Mckenna | Table of Health

My best time management hack is taking a very small portion of my weekend to at least prep some ingredients for meals or some small meals.

This could be chopping up the veggies I will use later in the week or making my breakfasts in jars ahead of time like chia pudding or egg cups.

Since I am all about squeezing veggies in, I also love to prepare a couple days of green juice ahead of time! This way I don’t have to take the time to get out the supplies everyday and can just grab a glass when it’s convenient!

Utilize Small Pockets of Time

Stephanie | Wynning In Life

I started getting more done when I realized the value of every minute in the day. I used to think 5 minutes wasn’t enough time to accomplish anything.

So, I’d waste time checking social media accounts or shopping online if I had a minute or two to spare. When I realized I could accomplish quite a lot in 5 minutes, how I viewed time during the day changed my productivity dramatically.

I become so much more productive at work returning emails or calls by taking advantage of the few minutes I had when a meeting ended early or the few minutes I had before my next meeting started.

If I saw I only had a few minutes left of the day before I must pick up my daughter, I used to end the day and start packing up.

Now, I challenge myself to see how many emails I can get out of my inbox by replying or deleting as many as possible in that short time before I leave. I’m getting back to people faster, starting with a nearly empty inbox the next day, and in general, have less anxiety about work.

I’m using every minute I have at work, and then leaving work at work. I use the same 5-minute method at home. My toddler in the bath before bed offers me a few minutes to scrub down the counter or toilet while I’m singing songs with her and talking to her about her day.

Folding and putting away that load of laundry as soon as it’s done eliminates ironing. Spending the time to clean up as I’m making dinner makes after-dinner clean up a breeze.

Packing lunches the night before eliminates chaos in the morning. Finding small tasks you can accomplish in the few minutes you have here and there will make you a lot more productive during the day!

Break Down Big Projects into Small Task

Katelyn | Katelyn Leigh x

My best time management tip is to break bigger tasks up into smaller ones.

This helps me get things done throughout the week even when I don’t have any large periods of time to work.

It’s also a good way to keep you from feeling overwhelmed or stressed about a project and makes it seem more manageable.

Wake Up Early

Carey | Realities and Dreams

Wake up early!

Every single day I am up at 4 AM.

During the week, I have to leave for work at 6 AM, but I am able to work my blog for an hour.

Even on the weekend or any day off work, I get up at that time. I get so much accomplished while the rest of the household is still asleep!

Use a Planner

Nataly | Lovely Momhood

In order to be consistent and intentional with your time I suggest you write everything down.

Buy a paper planner!

On the “month outlook” of the planner write down all the things you would like to accomplish for that month.

Then, on the “weekly outlook” of the calendar sort the priority tasks on a day-to-day basis. As each week passes, check-mark what you were able to complete, and move over to the following week what you didn’t have time to finish.

As moms we have a million things going on. Therefore, crafting a schedule that allows for flexibility is key!

This kind of outlook will help you stay focused while also looking at the bigger picture. It will provide you with both structure and flexibility for a more realistic approach on your busy day.

Track Your Time

Jade | Live A Blissful Life

I make sure I track my time so I know exactly what I’m doing and where I’m spending it on.

After all, time is a precious commodity and can never be replaced or even earned.

I used to use an excel sheet but now am totally raving about Toggl. They have a Google Chrome extension that makes everything easy since I work on my laptop.

If you want something analogue, then you can get a kitchen timer and track your time that way.

Get your printable planner!

Are you ready to tackle your goals and get things done? Sign up below to receive your free printable planner complete with a monthly and weekly calendar, meal planner, expense tracker and so much more. Let’s get started!

Let me know. Which one of these tips you find most useful?

Toni-Ann Hylton Mayembe signature

Reader Interactions

Comments

  2. Thanks, Adriane. Family meetings! I didn’t even think to include this. This would definitely make the week go by smoother if everyone knows what is going on during the week. Is there anything in particular that you make sure to discuss at every meeting?

  3. In the past year I’ve started doing every single one of these and can’t agree with you more. I feel so much better when I’m organized and productive. The best one for me has been to plan for my week on Sundays and we do this during our Family Meeting!

  5. Thanks, Kristy. I learned a few new things that I can incorporate from these ladies. Multitasking is my weakness. I think I’m good at it, but I’m really not.

  6. Wow! What an incredible collection of inspiring tips for moms! I never thought of blocking and batching instead of multitasking. That makes so much sense after reading this! I am always trying to find new ways to be more productive and organized!

  10. Brenda, thanks! I learned so much from these ladies myself. Juggling everything is challenging, for sure. But, I know that when I manage my time better my juggling act is graceful and not so clumsy. 🙂

  11. Thanks for collecting all those great suggestions from other working moms! I think I may have found several areas where I can improve my work balance. Especially with working a day job and starting my own blog in the spare time between running kids to practice and making dinner!

Trackbacks

error: This content is protected.