What are working moms in need of most? Support. Here are 5 tips to being a working mom from working moms just like you.  

Although some employers feel as though the boundary between a woman’s work and personal life is a clear one, we are firm believers that as a mom, maintaining that boundary is easier said than done. In recruiting we talk to moms on a daily basis. Moms who are actively working, moms who are seeking to reenter the workforce after taking time off to care for their families, and stay-at-home moms who are considering utilizing their degrees in finance and accounting to launch their careers. In our eyes, all moms are working moms and we realize that is no simple walk in the park.

As we grow up and start advancing in our professional careers, we all begin to learn the value of time. We go from being responsible for solely ourselves to being responsible for others. Our list of responsibilities grows and the amount of time we have to ensure that list gets done shrinks. Workdays become longer. Stress becomes more common. That being said, for Mother’s Day this year we wanted to take time to give back to all of the moms we work with by providing some real, honest tips that we’ve received time and time again.

Here are five tips to ease your mind, improve your focus, and reduce the inherent stresses of being a working mom from other working moms like you:

1.  Do you ever feel guilty? Don’t. You have nothing to feel guilty for.

The next time you feel guilty whether at work or at home, stop and ask yourself, “Am I making a conscious effort to be the best mom and employee that I can be?” There is no other type of guilt like “mom guilt.” When you are a stay-at-home mom, you feel guilty that you are not doing enough to support your family financially. When you work, you feel guilty that you are not spending enough time with your family or as though you are not prioritizing your family over work. These are reasonable feelings that most working moms experience. That being said, guilt gets you nowhere. If you are trying, you have nothing to feel guilty for. Guilt only causes stress which then impacts your day-to-day life. It is a natural feeling you will experience on occasion, but do not let it overtake your life. You are awesome and are truly a role model. Your children know that even when you think they do not.

2.  Even Super Woman had help. Don’t be afraid to ask for it.

As a working mom, it is extremely important to have a strong, reliable support system in place and to use it when you need to. We all need help at one point or another in our lives to balance competing priorities.  This means asking Grandma to pick up the kids from preschool on Tuesdays or asking your spouse to pick up dinner on his way home from work or asking your daughter’s friend’s mom to carpool to soccer. Hiring a trustworthy babysitter that your kids adore is also key in helping with after-school activities. Even assigning household chores to your kids like unloading the dishwasher and putting away their laundry can make your day easier.  Working moms really can have it all but are much happier if they don’t have to do it all by themselves.

3.  Technology is your friend. Use it to improve efficiencies in your household.

Staying organized is key to maintaining your sanity as a mom. In the 21st century, technology is unavoidable. You use it to check your children’s report cards, receive announcements from school, and manage your professional life. So why not utilize it to create efficiencies at home? Use a shared email calendar to keep your spouse in the loop with family activities. Leverage shared apps, such as Cozi, to keep updated shopping lists and reduce the number of trips to the store per week. The more organized you are at home, the more focused you will be at work.

4.  Set attainable goals for yourself and don’t be afraid to say “no.”

Practice SMART goal setting. One day a week, sit down and set one to two goals for your personal life and for your professional life. Goals should be SMART: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time Bound. Setting goals for yourself not only generates self confidence, it also gives people a better understanding of their time. For example, you set a professional goal to wrap-up month-end close by Thursday so that you can take Friday off to help your daughter prepare for prom. This will require that you dedicate 8-9 hours each day to consolidate the information, format it and then review it. When Joe Rogers from finance comes to you and requests your assistance with reviewing the quarterly budget even though it’s not in your job description, you will know from your weekly goal setting that the earliest you can review the budget is Monday. If it needs to be done before then,  you will need to tell Joe Rogers “NO.”

5.  Don’t forget to… Zzz. That’s right–sleep and eat healthy.

The most basic of human needs are oftentimes the first ones to go when we have children. Don’t forget about numero uno. We preach the importance of eating your apples and falling asleep by 8:30 PM to our children but sometimes forget to follow that rule ourselves. You need to get at least 6 hours (because 8 is generally unrealistic) of sleep per night. You are doing neither your family nor your coworkers any good if you are grumpy, tired and unfocused at work. You can only take care of other people when you are truly taking care of yourself.

Working moms have one of the hardest tasks. While working they are simultaneously raising their families and doing what they know is best for them. It can be very hard at times because mom guilt is real.  But taking these tips and applying them to your working mom life can help with that. Don’t be afraid to asking for help and say “no” to that something extra. Set goals for yourself and stick to them. And at the end of the day, give yourself a break because we all know you deserve it!

We hope you have enjoyed the latest Burchard & Associates blog! For more hiring and career advice, visit http://wise-coast.flywheelsites.com/hr-blog/. If you have questions or would like to learn more regarding our accounting and finance recruiting services, please contact us at info@exechunter.com.