So you’ve just welcomed the newest addition to your family. Congratulations! There’s nothing as exciting and heart-warming as giving life to your baby. But family life with a newborn is crazy! Babies turn everything upside down, in the best way possible. And that creates a significant change in your routine! Amidst recovering from labor and taking care of your little one, you barely have time for anything other than the bare minimum. Now your task list is growing bigger but the days aren’t getting any longer! How do you adjust to this new lifestyle? Time management.
Managing your time with a newborn can seem challenging. Still, you need to learn how to carve out the space for both your daily tasks and yourself. And it’s all about harvesting those time management skills! Trust me, I’ve been through it. With a few tweaks here and there, you’ll feel at ease soon enough. That’s what today’s post is all about! I’m sharing my favorite time management tips for new moms, especially those with newborns. So keep reading to learn how to save time in your daily life!
Time Management For New Moms
Create all the lists that you need.
More than once, a chore list helped me save time. Between my work, the children’s different schedules, taking care of little Preston, running errands, and keeping our household neat, proper organization is a must. I need to know what’s ahead of me! So, fellow new moms, don’t be scared of creating a thousand different chore lists. You can separate them into sections or just create one huge list with everything in it. Personally, splitting up my chore lists has brought me tremendous success. Just divide them into different sections! You can make a cleaning schedule, a daily work tasks rundown, a grocery list, and so on. For real, craft as many lists as you need!
Take advantage of delivery services.
Using digital services to cut your errand time in half is just efficiency at its best. One thing I love to do is order groceries online before I go to bed. Schedule them to be delivered the next morning before I wake up. Then all I have to do is unload the groceries first thing in the morning before the kids wake. We both know you can shop for groceries online in half of the time that it takes you to go to an actual store. Especially for your staple items. You can get super efficient with it and even have your favorite items saved in the apps for quick online checkout.
But using delivery services goes far beyond just groceries. If you don’t have time to make dinner, use Door Dash, Postmates, or heck even a meal delivery service for kids like Nurture Life Meals. Need gifts? Clothes? Cleaning supplies? Anything and everything can be purchased online and delivered straight to your doorstep. Gone are the days when you had to go places to buy the things you needed. Today all can be found online.
Learn when and how to say no.
Time is a seriously valuable resource. As a new mom, you’re going to be limited on time. That means being able to say no to things that aren’t truly a priority, or that cause any unwanted stress. That dinner you don’t really want to go to, say no. An extra work project that is sort of a favor, say no. You truly have to prioritize what really matters and say no to things that don’t. As moms you need to cherish every little moment you can save for yourself and your family.
Make cleaning and organizing play time.
This one really helps, but of course comes with a warning to not prioritize cleaning over quality family time. As a mom I’ve found that the kids really do enjoy helping from time to time. Especially toddlers that are still learning about the world around them. They love to play with brooms, dusters, etc. So make a fun game, or encourage pretend play sessions out of your cleaning up. As you’re playing with the baby, organize the toys or couch cushions. You’ll be surprised how big of a difference cleaning as you go can make in the long run.
Prioritize a healthy schedule.
Routines and schedules can make all the difference. I live by these tips to help moms prioritize health, but routines for the day and sleep are huge. Routines during the day help you stay on track and get more efficient and effective. It keeps the kids moving and understanding of how their day is structured. And as you guys know, newborns can be pretty disorganized sleepers. This is why I take the time to create a bedtime routine and a sleep schedule for baby Preston. And for the entire family, actually. We’re all huge on healthy sleeping habits! This can seem far-fetched at first, but creating a sleep schedule will save time in the long run. How? Because you will be well-rested each and every day! That way you’ll have enough energy to reach higher levels of productivity and avoid getting burnt out.
Learn that it’s okay to delegate and outsource some tasks.
I get the feeling. As a new mom, you probably want to stay on top of everything. But things aren’t as they used to be! Now you have a lovely newborn to take care of. And that’s pretty much a full-time job on its own! There are so many tasks you can delegate. From running errands, to housekeeping, cooking, to handling your taxes. There’ll always be a service, product, or someone who can pick up right where you left off. And delegating can also come in the form of help with the babies and kids. All moms deserve a break. So don’t feel guilty hiring a sitter, nanny, or recruiting friends and family to help out. Just make sure you delegate to someone you trust!
Master the subtle art of meal planning.
Meal planning is essential both for a healthier lifestyle and simpler time management. Picture this: It’s 7 pm. You have no clue what to make for dinner. The fridge is pretty empty. And you know any delivery service will take at least half an hour. Sounds exhausting, doesn’t it? With meal prepping, you can say goodbye to last-minute grocery trips and endless food delivery. Dedicate each Sunday to planning the meals for the week and creating a complete grocery list. Then say hello to an organized fridge and a solid idea of what to eat for every meal!
Multitask only when it’ll actually be productive.
Family life can be hectic. So sometimes multitasking really is your best bet. As moms, you want to be present and attentive. Both for a great relationship with your kids and for their safety. Plus, sometimes multitasking actually doesn’t save you time. Studies show multitasking actually makes you less efficient and more prone to making mistakes. Still, not everything is bad about multitasking! If done right, it can be enjoyable and help in managing your time better. So be very careful in how you choose to multitask.
I mentioned cleaning up above, that one totally works. But you can also listen to a podcast while you drive to your child’s doctor appointment. Or call a friend while driving. You can make and eat breakfast with your child. Another great mom multitasking option is walking with the baby. Get a workout in! Do squats while wearing the baby in a wrap. Or put your new bundle of joy in the stroller and go for an uphill walk, add some lunges! You got this!
Avoid the social media time suck.
As we’ve all experienced, social media can truly take up a ton of our time. You start scrolling and suddenly 20 minutes have flown by! It’s really easy to lose track of, and waste time on social media. As moms we need all the valuable time we can get. So try to avoid scrolling for too long. You can use time limits on Iphone apps to make sure you don’t mindlessly scroll for longer than you want. You can set daily limits so you know you’re always limiting that kind of time or at least getting a notification when you’re spending more than you’d like.
Choose your makeup wisely.
Okay, this might sound silly but it’s a total game changer. As moms, we really don’t have time to do our makeup multiple times per day. Sometimes we’re headed out in the morning, busy all day, and then headed out for the night. So you want to make sure your makeup can be taken on the go, lasts long enough, and doesn’t smudge or dull throughout the day. I personally love this foundation for busy moms and absolutely live by these makeup tips for busy moms. Also, make sure you always have any touch up products in a to go makeup bag as well!
Let go of the idea of perfection.
Newsflash: perfection is dangerous. I’m sure you’ve heard about the downsides of being a perfectionist. But it goes well beyond a couple of setbacks. Studies have found it’s linked to mental health issues, such as anxiety or bipolar disorder, as well as some physical conditions like high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease. If you think this might be your case, seek out medical advice. So please let go of perfection! This will only make you lose valuable time stressing over the smallest of details. As a new mom, you’ve already got more than enough on your plate. Don’t stress over the things you can’t control!
Set attainable daily goals.
We all need to feel accomplished by the time our head meets the pillow at night, right? Goal-setting is a motivating way to get things done more efficiently. Writing down daily goals will help you organize your priorities. Not to mention it feels truly satisfying when you get to check off every to-do as you accomplish them one by one. You’re a busy mom, you deserve to celebrate even the simplest of goals!
Be flexible.
Any fellow working mom will get me when I say that you can only expect the unexpected. Especially now that we’re all working from home with littles! Whether that is the baby waking up right in the middle of a business call or the printer deciding to stop working on a whim, there’ll always be unforeseen situations. And that’s okay! Managing your time intelligently is to make room for the unpredictable. For flexibility purposes only! For real, cut yourself some slack and give your organized life a little wiggle room.
Make self-care a habit.
New moms are put under a lot of stress. If you allow all the daily pressures to take a toll on you, your energy levels will suffer. So let’s be honest. Managing your time is also about knowing when to recharge those batteries! No matter how great your time management skills might be. So practice self-care at least on a weekly basis! A self-care routine at home can make al the difference. It doesn’t have to be anything crazy. It can even either be during the mornings or right before you snooze off for the day. And it can include all your favorite activities! From skincare and a bubble bath to yoga and meditation, there are lots of ways to unwind.
What are your favorite time management tips for fellow new moms?
So there you have it! The basics of time management for new moms. Sure, maintaining an organized household while taking care of a newborn can feel overwhelming. But there’s no reason to panic! Everything will be okay as long as you manage your hours wisely. So follow these tips to save time on your daily routine!