Working Mum Manifesto

The important things to remember when you’re juggling work and family 

“Life is not a problem to be solved, but a reality to be experienced.” — Soren Kierkegaard

1. Leave the housework

No one’s going to die if you leave the dirty dishes in the sink overnight. Listen, if you keep driving the car at top speed for five continuous days, the engine will burn out.

2. Live in the present

Stop checking your work emails around the kids. Stop getting distracted by work at the weekends. Whilst you were busy looking at your smartphones, our cute babies will transform into awkward teenagers. Live in the now.

3. Stop feeling guilty

It’s tough juggling a career and family. Lots of us go through this familiar tug of war. Let’s face it, it’s never going to go away.

“People tend to dwell more on negative things than on good things. So the mind then becomes obsessed with negative things, with judgments, guilt and anxiety produced by thoughts about the future and so on.” — Eckhart Tolle

4. Take control of your life

Life is broken into work/career, family/home, personal and community. Are you spending too much time in one area at the expense of another. Small changes can make a difference. What little tweaks can you make?

“The most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity. The fears are paper tigers. You can do anything you decide to do. You can act to change and control your life; and the procedure , the process is its own reward.” — Amelia Earhart

5. Set aside an hour a week for yourself

Use the hour to reflect and take stock on whether you’re chasing the right dream. Often, in the high speed chase of the everyday, we neglect to see the forest for the trees.

“Beware the barrenness of a busy life.” — Socrates

6. Go on twitter to meet new mums

Yes, this breaks the golden rule: don’t talk to strangers. But if you find the right circle of twitter mums, get to know them and make friends. The support you get from this bunch of digital mums is incredible.

7. Have a working uniform

A small capsule wardrobe to mix and match them throughout the week — you only need five looks. The aim here is to get rid of last minute wardrobe dilemmas. We’ve all been there before and you know how long it can take.

8. Listen to music

Had a bad day? Put on your favourite tune from your teen years — mine’s Nirvana ‘Lithium’. Nothing is as evocative as music. When the music washes over you, it’s like a mood massage.

“There is no bad day that can’t be overcome by listening to a barbershop quartet. This is just truth, plain and simple.” — Aldous Huxley

9. Have a project or hobby

You need to for your own sanity. You give so much to your career and family, and it’s great to be doing something for no other reason than it makes you happy.

10. Keep chasing your dreams

Yes, we are tired. Yes, we have lots on. But that doesn’t mean you should stop chasing your dreams. You just need to work out how you can set aside the time to do it.

“The purpose of life is to be defeated by greater and greater things.” — Rilke

This article was originally published on my blog The Daily Mum.