9 productivity tips for moms that help me to get things done as a working mom. Finding the balance is tricky but these tips have helped so much!

Since having my daughter Sage I’ve had to implement some habits to help me still get the things done I need to get done. Working and running my online business, HealthNut Nutrition gives me a huge amount of purpose and fulfilment, as does being a hands-on mom, so trying to find that delicate balance is always a challenge. I hope these 9 productivity tips for moms will help you if you’re also searching for that elusive mom/work-life balance. 

Don’t drink caffeine

This may sound counterintuitive, and I know for many moms this will sound downright insane, but I don’t drink coffee. I found it was actually making me feel more sluggish, and cut caffeine out about seven years ago now and counting. Allowing my body to create its own balance of sustained energy throughout the day has eliminated the ups and downs throughout the day and I feel more rested when I sleep and wake up. Now, in the mornings, I just drink herbal coffee with a little liquid stevia, collagen and frothed oat milk to start my mornings. I have much more energy having cut out caffeine and way less anxiety so give it a try and see if it works for you too!

Teamwork

This is one of the most important productivity tips for moms that I can share – to tag team and take turns. When Matt (Daddy) needs to get things done, I’ll be looking after Sage. When I need to work, he’ll take her. It’s all about teamwork. If I have an awful night and am up with Sage a lot, Matt will take the morning shift so I can catch up on sleep. Even if your partner doesn’t work from home I think it’s important to adjust your schedule and maybe have one person do the morning routine and another do the bedtime routine. 

Quick mommy self care

When you’re a mom, it can be really easy to be so busy looking after your little one that you forget to look after yourself. But as much as I do, sometimes I get to midday and realize I still haven’t brushed my teeth or combed my hair so I do try to incorporate quick and easy self-care routines into my day. I’ve minimized the days I wash my hair to just two days a week, which saves a lot of time and is actually much better for your hair. I also have a 5 minute mommy makeup routine which helps me look and feel refreshed without spending a huge amount of time. 

Quick cleaning routine

Now that Sage is crawling I feel like it’s even more important to keep on top of the housework. We’ve developed a routine where we do a few small cleaning tasks every day, and then leave the deep clean for every couple of weeks. We also love our cleaning robots. This one vacuums and this one swiffers. We can set them to go while we’re out for our morning walk, and by the time we get home our floors are nice and fresh!

Meal prepping

I mention meal prepping ALL… THE… TIME and there’s good reason for that! It not only saves money, it makes everything so much easier and more convenient. By prepping foods for the week it means you don’t have to spend so much time in the kitchen. Even pre-chopping your veg means dinner time will be much quicker! Take a look at my top tips for getting started with meal prepping right here. You can also see how I meal prep a month’s worth of baby food at a time here. I also make sure to have a list of go-to healthy meals that don’t take long to make. Of course we get takeout sometimes, but these tips help us to eat nutritious homemade food the majority of the time. 

Work when the baby sleeps

I know, I know. The age-old saying of ‘sleep when the baby sleeps’ is sound advice for the early days. But especially now Sage is sleeping through the night, I really try to make her nap times productive. Oftentimes her naps are when I get the most work done, as long as I don’t allow myself to get distracted with things like social media. Of course, you need to listen to your body. If you need a rest, definitely do so. 

Have a realistic to-do list

Having a to-do list each day helps keep me organized and accountable. But the key is being realistic with it. Instead of trying to tackle the world in one go, I’ll have a few main things on my list that I want to get done. Anything else I achieve that day is a cherry on top! It’s also helpful to think about what you can do with your baby, and what you can’t. For example, I’ve done so many work calls while breastfeeding Sage. Multi-tasking is a busy mom’s best friend!

Working out as a busy mom

It’s not always possible for me to fit in full-on workouts, especially when I’m busy with work. Even so, I still try to make sure I’m being active each day. This could be as simple as going on a dog walk or looking up a 15 minute yoga routine on YouTube. Most of my workouts these days are no more than 30 minutes long and I still get a great sweat, blood pumping and feeling those endorphins. A little bit like the cutting out of caffeine, short bursts of exercise like this will help up your energy levels, which will in turn make you more productive! 

Ask for help

Being a working mom is hard work. You need to allow yourself to ask for help. Whether that’s from your partner, your friends and family, or looking into paid help like getting a cleaner or some form of childcare, you can’t expect yourself to be a do it all supermom. And to me being a “supermom” isn’t about taking on the world. Give yourself grace and admit when you need a helping hand. Also be careful not to let mom guilt stand in your way. If you’re a working mom, it can really make you feel guilty if you’re having to ask for help with things like childcare, but it’s all about figuring out what’s important to you. As I said, both motherhood and working make me feel fulfilled. I wouldn’t feel whole if I only did one and not the other. It’s a difficult balancing act, but it’s totally possible. 

 

So there you have it – my 9 top productivity tips for moms. What would you add to the list? Be sure to leave any of your top tips in the comments below!

If you’re interested in seeing more of what life is like in the HealthNut home with baby Sage, check out my 24 hours with a 6 month old and our 0-6 month baby sleep schedule.