Inside: Get this amazing free download comprehensive survival toolkit for working moms.
Comprehensive Survival Toolkit for the Working Mom
The road to an anxiety-free working mom life.
As a working mom with a high-stress career, I struggled with crippling anxiety. Once the pandemic hit, things got worse.
Picture this –
7:30 am – My 6-year-old son jumped out of bed and ran to the bathroom without breakfast.
7:55 am – I am pleading at his door to get out.
8:00 am – The conference call started, but I couldn’t get there because I was negotiating with my son at the door. Threats and promises ensued.
8:10 am – I got to my phone and told the team I was running late.
8:20 am – I got my son to wolf down a muffin; there are dishes in the sink, and I can barely pile any more on them. But we managed.
8:30 am – Got him to sit at his desk and sign onto his laptop (remote school at this point);
Fingers crossed, I joined my conference call – I cannot turn on my camera because, by now, my hair is a mess.
8:37 am – Call from the school. My son had closed the laptop and was M.I.A from the remote classroom.
I had to bail from my conference call while I searched for him and re-establish him at his desk.
Imagine similar scenes during dinner time, clearing toys or going to bed. This was not an optimal situation. And far from sustainable.
But I just kept gritting my teeth and forced myself to face more of the same every single day.
Don’t get me wrong – I would start the morning with great intentions, but those quickly dissipated, and I focused on just making it through.
I had two full-blown panic attacks within two weeks of each other.
That’s when I decided I had to act.
I started working on planning over worrying, creating a structure, delegating tasks, and finding time for self-care – it was a slow climb for sure. I read as many books as I could find. I got a meditation app. I have a creative mind, and I put that to work in helping engineer the life I aspired for. Versus the life, I was being forced into.
Slowly, things got better. I had more days and more full days that were free from anxiety. Finally, I felt free to enjoy things around me.
A research paper by the site behavioral economics highlights humans are prone to decision inertia, meaning we are wired to stick to familiar patterns even though changing those patterns would be more favorable for us.
Our brains evolved with immediate and pressing dangers, and we tended to persist in proven patterns (patterns we knew saved us from the tiger last time, for instance).
So, our stone age brains are not wired for long-term health and/or long-term happiness. Therefore, our stone age brains must be re-programmed. But first, we have to recognize the signs, call them out and then change our behavior.
Get the thrive-vival toolkit for working moms
Recently, I decided to create a toolkit – with tips, templates, and guides – something I could share with others. It’s months and months of work and a whole stack of books condensed into a survival toolkit. And I hope others can use it to free themselves from the vicious cycle of anxiety and disquiet.
Imagine this – you have cloned yourself for the day, and the “you clone” is helping divide and conquer your chores. Everything is done – dishes put away, meetings scheduled, laundry folded…what a vision!
The next best thing to cloning ourselves is delegation.
This tool in the free toolkit walks you through some tasks you can delegate. Delegate:
- To outside services – “outsource work.”
- To the children and significant other
A typical response to this advice is the work doesn’t get done to my satisfaction, or it’s easier to do it myself. It’s very accurate.
Remember, our primitive brain is getting in the way of long-term happiness. So recognize it and call it out.
The delegation tool is just one of many in this entire toolkit.
What you get with this 500+ pages download:
- Evergreen planner with prompts for meal planning, self-care, and reflection
- 2023 calendar with hand-painted watercolor florals
- Well-being checklists
- Priority matrix
- To-do lists
- Tips and tricks to stretch time by delegating
- Worksheet to map out goals
- Kids’ chore charts
- Weekend schedules
- Summer chores schedule
- Single-tasking cheat sheet
I had to learn the secrets of harmonious living the long winding way, but I hope this is a one-stop shop type of help for moms who need it.
Let’s do one thing today: pick something from this toolbox that seems doable. And take one minute to do it. I promise it will help.
Author Bio
I am an immigrant who came to the United States from India when I was 18. Being brand new and alone in a new country, I found remarkable people who helped me find my way, understand cultural norms, and forge my own identity.
Now, I am a wife, mom, and a working professional with a blended life of corporate meetings, PTO events, shareholder events, date nights, and a creative habit.
I like to create beautiful things that represent my blended life – art prints, wallpaper, quilts and organizers, all designed to create a purposeful life.
My all-time favorite quote is, “The Man in the Arena,” by Theodore Roosevelt.
I have always felt incredibly grateful to the people who helped me find my way as a new immigrant in a strange land. I hope to pay forward that love and kindness.
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