It is nothing short of amazing to think how a single mum can balance her time between so many commitments. After all, it can seem very difficult when there are two parents in the household, so how on earth do single mums cope? Answer: They just do what needs to be done! There is such a lot to do in any given day and as a single mum you simply get on with finding ways to achieve it all.
Your list of commitments might be never-ending, but there is nothing in the rulebook to say that as a single working mum can’t have time for yourself. In all likelihood, you may have two full-time jobs, a day job dedicated to your career and the other to ’round the clock’ Family Ltd., but even in these incredibly difficult circumstances, “me time” is crucial, not just for your own sake, but for your children’s as well. After all, happy mum equals happy kids!
If you want to find “me time” as a single mum, first of all you must look at your time management. This certainly isn’t to say that you have to “punch-in” and “punch-out” of every single task and project, but it’s essential that you’re able to prioritise without second guessing yourself. If this isn’t one of your natural abilities, try this exercise: Start a diary of everything you do for around 3 to 5 days in 15 minute increments. It’s not easy by any means, but it’s incredibly worthwhile! Once you’ve finished this, you’ll have a much better idea of where you’re “loosing time” and where you’re making the most of the time available. If you have an interest in refining your time management skills and balancing out your daily life, it’s fairly easy to find helpful online life coaching professionals who can help you put everything into perspective.
Professional coaching will help you to understand the many facets of time management, and why it’s become one of the most valuable assets in business. Whilst blue-chip companies have always employed advisers and consultants, coaching for women has become increasingly commonplace, especially for single working mums who seek to balance family, career and personal life.
To enable you to find “me time,” it will help if you become more efficient at some of the tasks that you perform, day in, day out. Take a look at each area. Sometimes it will not be possible to streamline and become more efficient, but you need to tackle this with a “can do” attitude. Challenge yourself to experiment with new ways of doing things. If you have to work within a tightly constrained budget, this may not allow you to be as efficient as you otherwise could, but nevertheless, analyse everything. For example, are you being as efficient as you could be when it comes to cleaning? Do you absolutely need to repeat a certain process daily or would you be better served by allocating more time for a really thorough cleanup on one day and much less time on some of the others? If you’re a manic cleaner, try going on a cleaning diet for a few days and see if the World really does fall apart without the bathroom being cleaned daily!
While no one is advocating that you cut corners or that you don’t eat a healthy diet, see if you can make alterations to cut down on the amount of time that you spend preparing or cooking. Introduce fresh vegetables or fruits more often, scoring in terms of diet and less preparation. Take the “cook once eat twice” challenge, looking for recipes that you can double up on and either eat on two days running or freeze. How much time could you save if you cooked only 4 times per week instead of 7 and what could you do with that “cook free” time that you’ve saved?
Remember that certain things are not optional. You must get an adequate amount of sleep and you can’t “buy into” this time, and building exercise into your week is like paying into a health savings account – you’ll see “compound” benefits very quickly in your resilience, your health and your self-confidence . Simply by concentrating on exercise routine you can often get more energy, promoting greater efficiency during your working day.
Amanda Alexander is the Managing Director of Coaching Mums. She is a celebrated ICF accredited coach, who for over six years, has been helping thousands of working mums from around the World bring balance back into their lives, lose their guilt, find the time to explore their passions, and generally, to have a lot more fun! For fantastic articles and hot professional coaching tips, sign up to receive “Inspire”, our famous free newsletter today!
Tags: (coaching, Family, mom, mother, mum, relationship, work life balance)
As a working mom, it’s often incredibly difficult to find the time to reach any semblance of balance while being stretched all directions throughout each and every day. These days, it seems that unless you’ve got a special gift for effective time management, it’s just not possible to find enough time to take care of all the needs of your children, your job, your housework and the myriad of other tasks that are always so necessary.
When we choose to put things off until tomorrow – or the next day, we usually end up feeling guilty about it, and unfortunately this course of action only serves to magnify our daily problems. Budgeting can be quite a challenge and if you only have a limited source of income you will always feel pressured to spend it on the kids and other household items, relegating yourself to last place in the pecking order.
As a working mother, you have to keep in mind one crucial point – you represent the “engine” that keeps the whole family going, and without you being at your best, other aspects of the family machine simply won’t work as well. Therefore, relegate any feelings of guilt to the back of your mind and understand that any time you invest in yourself is an investment in everything around you, your kids and your overall life. It’s essential that you feel good about yourself or, with the passage of time, you’ll feel increasingly burdened, and put yourself in a situation where depression could take hold and create a never-ending downward spiral.
One of the most crucial goals for you to work toward should be to establish a solid support network all around you. It’s a good idea to remember to lean on your close friends for support – you know who they are, they’re the true friends you can always turn to in situations like these at any time. Don’t forget though, that this kind of support is a two-way street. You may already have close family members who help you out, but don’t be afraid to seek the help of a professional coaching expert, specifically coaching for women in your situation as well.
Hopefully you can find a good friend who is willing to become a babysitter for you, so that you can take that special “me” time. If you try hard enough, there’s always a way to find a little bit of extra time to make yourself feel “yummy,” instead of slummy! Always keep in mind that no matter how much chaos seems to reign everywhere around you on a daily basis, you have to take control over the factors that you can manage.
Looking and feeling fabulous on a low budget is not that difficult. Your toughest challenge will be in setting aside the necessary time to truly pamper yourself. Once you accept this as a priority, pay attention to the essential elements.
The best thing you can do for yourself on a daily basis is to commit to an exercise routine, and we don’t mean carrying around big bags of groceries or tidying up your home! A concerted period of cardiovascular work is perfect, or you can event start out by using a small set of hand weights while walking around the neighbourhood.
Before you know it you’ll feel better physically and mentally, and your skin tone will even start to shine brightly again. You can pick up supplies to do a really great home manicure and pedicure, schedule a visit to a beautician or hairstylist and just focus on your personal time in the bathroom more often.
Feeling good is a state of mind. This process usually begins with a renewed focus on setting aside time for you, and then giving this time an equal priority.
For more hints and tips on how to feel great as a low-budget mum, check out the numerous online life coaching resources available!
Amanda Alexander is the Founder and Inspiration behind Coaching Mums. She’s a distinguished ICF accredited coach, who for almost seven years now, has been bringing a new feeling of hope into the lives of working mums from around the world, showing them how to discard their guilt, rediscover their passions and to have a lot more fun! For amazing articles and truly effective professional coaching tips, sign up to get “Inspire” right away, our absolutely outstanding free newsletter!
Tags: (coaching, business, coaching for women, life coaching, mom, mother, mum, professional coaching, therapy
It is nothing short of amazing to think how a single mum can balance her time between so many commitments. After all, it can seem very difficult when there are two parents in the household, so how on earth do single mums cope? Answer: They just do what needs to be done! In any given day as a single mum, there’s just so much that needs to be done, and you have to keep on looking for new and inventive ways to accomplish everything.
Your list of commitments might be never-ending, but there is nothing in the rulebook to say that as a single working mum can’t have time for yourself. In all likelihood, you may have two full-time jobs, a day job dedicated to your career and the other to ’round the clock’ Family Ltd., but even in these incredibly difficult circumstances, “me time” is crucial, not just for your own sake, but for your children’s as well. A happy mum has happy kids!
If you’re trying to find more “me time” as a single mum, the first thing you should do is look into your time management methods. This is not to say that you must “clock-in” and “clock-out” of every task and project, but you must be able to prioritise ruthlessly. If this isn’t one of your natural abilities, try this exercise: Start a diary of everything you do for around 3 to 5 days in 15 minute increments. It’s not easy by any means, but it’s incredibly worthwhile! Once you’ve done this you’ll get a clear picture of where the time “goes” and where you are making the most of your time and where you might be “losing” time. If you have an interest in refining your time management skills and balancing out your daily life, it’s fairly easy to find helpful online life coaching professionals who can help you put everything into perspective.
Professional coaching tells us that time management is one of the most important assets in business. Whilst blue-chip companies invariably employ a host of advisers and consultants, coaching for women has become increasingly sought after, especially for single working mums who are looking for a way to balance their family, career and personal life.
To enable you to find “me time,” it will help if you become more efficient at some of the tasks that you perform, day in, day out. Take a look at each area. Sometimes it will not be possible to streamline and become more efficient, but you need to tackle this with a “can do” attitude. Challenge yourself to experiment with new ways of doing things. If you have to work within a tightly constrained budget, this may not allow you to be as efficient as you otherwise could, but nevertheless, analyse everything. For example, are you being as efficient as you could be when it comes to cleaning? Do you absolutely need to repeat a certain process daily or would you be better served by allocating more time for a really thorough cleanup on one day and much less time on some of the others? If you’re a manic cleaner, try going on a cleaning diet for a few days and see if the World really does fall apart without the bathroom being cleaned daily!
While no one is advocating that you cut corners or that you don’t eat a healthy diet, see if you can make alterations to cut down on the amount of time that you spend preparing or cooking. Introduce fresh vegetables or fruits more often, scoring in terms of diet and less preparation. Take the “cook once eat twice” challenge, looking for recipes that you can double up on and either eat on two days running or freeze. How much time could you save if you cooked only 4 times per week instead of 7 and what could you do with that “cook free” time that you’ve saved?
Remember that certain things are not optional. You must get an adequate amount of sleep and you can’t “buy into” this time, and building exercise into your week is like paying into a health savings account – you’ll see “compound” benefits very quickly in your resilience, your health and your self-confidence . Simply by concentrating on exercise routine you can often get more energy, promoting greater efficiency during your working day.
Amanda Alexander is the Founder and Inspiration behind Coaching Mums. She’s a distinguished ICF accredited coach, who for almost seven years now, has been bringing a new feeling of hope into the lives of working mums from around the world, showing them how to discard their guilt, rediscover their passions and to have a lot more fun! For amazing articles and truly effective professional coaching tips, sign up to get “Inspire” right away, our absolutely outstanding free newsletter!
Tags: (coaching, Family, mom, mother, mum, relationship, work life balance)
When you think about it, it’s absolutely amazing how a single mum can balance her time between so many different obligations. After all, it can seem very difficult when there are two parents in the household, so how on earth do single mums cope? Answer: They just do! In any given day as a single mum, there’s just so much that needs to be done, and you have to keep on looking for new and inventive ways to accomplish everything.
Your list of commitments might be never-ending, but there is nothing in the rulebook to say that as a single working mum can’t have time for yourself. In all likelihood, you may have two full-time jobs, a day job dedicated to your career and the other to ’round the clock’ Family Ltd., but even in these incredibly difficult circumstances, “me time” is crucial, not just for your own sake, but for your children’s as well. A happy mum has happy kids!
If you want to find “me time” as a single mum, first of all you must look at your time management. This is not to say that you must “clock-in” and “clock-out” of every task and project, but you must be able to prioritise ruthlessly. If this isn’t your forte, try the following exercise: Keep a diary of everything you do for 3-5 days in 15 minute increments. Not easy, but very worthwhile! Once you’ve done this you’ll get a clear picture of where the time “goes” and where you are making the most of your time and where you might be “losing” time. If you want to hone your time management skills and balance your life, you’ll find online life coaching experts who can help you to get to grips with all this.
Professional coaching will help you to understand the many facets of time management, and why it’s become one of the most valuable assets in business. Whilst blue-chip companies have always employed advisers and consultants, coaching for women has become increasingly commonplace, especially for single working mums who seek to balance family, career and personal life.
To enable you to find “me time,” it will help if you become more efficient at some of the tasks that you perform, day in, day out. Take a look at each area. Sometimes it will not be possible to streamline and become more efficient, but you need to tackle this with a “can do” attitude. Challenge yourself to experiment with new ways of doing things. If you have to work within a tightly constrained budget, this may not allow you to be as efficient as you otherwise could, but nevertheless, analyse everything. For example, are you being as efficient as you could be when it comes to cleaning? Do you absolutely need to repeat a certain process daily or would you be better served by allocating more time for a really thorough cleanup on one day and much less time on some of the others? If you’re a manic cleaner, try going on a cleaning diet for a few days and see if the World really does fall apart without the bathroom being cleaned daily!
While no one is advocating that you cut corners or that you don’t eat a healthy diet, see if you can make alterations to cut down on the amount of time that you spend preparing or cooking. Introduce fresh vegetables or fruits more often, scoring in terms of diet and less preparation. Take the “cook once eat twice” challenge, looking for recipes that you can double up on and either eat on two days running or freeze. How much time could you save if you cooked only 4 times per week instead of 7 and what could you do with that “cook free” time that you’ve saved?
Remember that certain things are not optional. You must get an adequate amount of sleep and you can’t “buy into” this time, and building exercise into your week is like paying into a health savings account – you’ll see “compound” benefits very quickly in your resilience, your health and your self-confidence . Simply by concentrating on exercise routine you can often get more energy, promoting greater efficiency during your working day.
Amanda Alexander is the Managing Director of Coaching Mums. She is a celebrated ICF accredited coach, who for over six years, has been helping thousands of working mums from around the World bring balance back into their lives, lose their guilt, find the time to explore their passions, and generally, to have a lot more fun! For fantastic articles and hot professional coaching tips, sign up to receive “Inspire”, our famous free newsletter today!
Tags: (coaching, Family, mom, mother, mum, relationship, work life balance)
Anticipating the arrival of your newborn child can be one of the most magical times. A wealth of treasured moments lie ahead as you wait for that important day. There are such an overwhelming number of things to do in preparation, and one of the biggest projects of all is the set up of your new baby’s nursery. This is going to be the focal point during the early days and it is meant to be a haven of relaxation, slumber and lullabies.
When you’re searching for nursery decoration ideas, it’s a good idea to strive to be focused. There’s no reason to make this process too complicated by being overly creative. Remember that the environment is supposed to be peaceful, soothing and relaxing and not a hodgepodge of different ideas and themes. These days you can buy sets of matching baby nursery decorations and not have to go through a seemingly unending process of selection.
If you are not sure about your baby’s sex, then you will probably want to make sure that your room decor is somewhat neutral. Some of us can be very traditional when it comes to the modern trends and will not want our obstetrician to fill us in on our little secret. When setting up the nursery, always make sure that the walls and flooring are somewhat neutral, and then build from there.
When it comes to selecting other important items and specific baby accessories, coordinated nursery bedding sets can make really quick work of what might otherwise be a rather difficult task. If you buy matching accessories, then you’ll definitely ensure that you finish with a harmonious environment for your newborn baby. You should try and keep your decorating ideas somewhat flexible for future needs and matching sets can be a great help. Remember that your new arrival will respond to different stimulations and develop interests and you want to be able to change the room’s theme, blend and appearance as you go.
Nobody really wants to undertake a huge redecoration project, after all, the real focus of your nursery should be your newborn baby! Nursery decorations are available in matching sets and can grow with your child. Try to make sure that you do not overwhelm your baby with themes, colors or decor that can be too bright. Whilst primary colors are great, more subtle selections will probably make for a better overall result.
When you set out to buy baby nursery decorations you can find bedding in many design and color options and can then go on to match the nursery bedding with all your accessories, such as a lampshade and even soft toys. Designers have taken a lot of the work out of your job when it comes to picking and choosing and, as expectant mothers, you know that the last thing we need when preparing for arrival is any complex decision-making process!
Start off with a neutral decor and then when the happy day arrives you will know if your nursery decoration needs to be themed for a little boy or a little girl. With complete matching sets available, you can ensure that your room is prepared by the time you get home from the hospital.
Bethany Bien loves being a mom; decorating nurseries and offering other moms advice and ideas on baby nursery decoration. Since you’ll be spending a lot of time in the nursery, it’s worth while to make it as safe, cozy and well decorated as possible. You can view her entire selection of fun stuff for your baby today!
When you hear the news about an imminent new arrival, naturally you’re going to be delighted. Your motherly instincts go into overdrive and you just can’t wait to visit with the soon to be mom and talk with her about her plans for the new baby. If you happen to already have a few children of your own, then in time you can help her to understand the challenges that are coming, because even though you know it’s really tough at times, at them moment you still only want to share the wonderful things about raising a baby.
If the soon to be mom doesn’t yet have any kids, she’ll likely be unsure of what she’ll need over the next several weeks or months. This is where a baby shower can be a great help and, as an experienced mom, you can suggest items to be included. Don’t worry too much that people are pinching pennies these days or having trouble with their monthly budgets, baby shower gift ideas do not have to be expensive, yet they can be very beneficial baby accessories for the new family.
It is always a good idea to sign up with a gift registry, as this can avoid the receipt of duplicate gifts and allow the mom to indicate her preferences. Those who want to supply some gifts can also eliminate some confusion and get a good idea about what to buy.
I always think that baby shower gifts should be very functional and related entirely to the needs of the baby, rather than a kind of “congratulatory” gift for the mom or dad! Be really honest and just think about what you couldn’t live without when you became a new parent.
The new baby is going to spend a considerable amount of time in the nursery and this is going to be the focal point of operations in baby central. It makes a lot of sense to focus the attention on a variety of inexpensive gift ideas that you can come up with for nursery decoration essentials. For example, what about a memory board? These can bought and personalized before you give them as a gift, and you can always be confident that they’ll get lots of use. A photo frame display would look great on the wall of the nursery as you know that the camera is going to have a great deal of use!
One of the ideas that would be functional as well as educational, in due course, would be a nice, bright big clock. A number of companies make clocks specifically designed for nurseries and it would make a great gift.
The nursery bedding theme sets are very popular and a great way for parents to outfit the room without worrying too much about matching individual items. Make sure that you find out what theme is being used and you can search for accessories that fit this theme and present these during a baby shower.
The baby shower is one of the most uplifting and fun parties. Come up with a creative idea, that doesn’t have to be expensive, and have a ball!
Bethany Bien loves being a mom; decorating nurseries and offering other moms advice and ideas on baby nursery decoration. Since you’ll be spending a lot of time in the nursery, it’s worth while to make it as safe, cozy and well decorated as possible. Check out her entire selection of fun stuff for your baby now!
