Working a full-time job and parenting is super hard. Adding studies to this makes it even more challenging. However being a full working mom does not mean that you should put educational goals on hold.
There are already working moms out there who are at full-time employees, are full-time moms, and are also studying. You can balance all three without burnout by relying on your support system, staying motivated, managing your finances, planning & managing your time and lastly taking care of yourself.
How to Balance Full Time Mom, Working & Studying
1. Find a Support System to Help
To nail parenting, working, and studying, at the same time, you need a support system. You need people to call when you feel like you are at your wit’s end and you feel like you are hitting the wall.
It may be your family members, your spouse, your close friends, your colleagues, students, instructors and generally anybody who can play a part in your journey. They will all help you manage all this without fatigue or burnout. Also, they are crucial for your emotional and mental health to avoid burnout or break down.
You need all the help you can get so normalize asking for help. You can even talk to your professor, your supervisor, or your boss about any assistance you may need. You will be surprised at how much help you can get if you just ask for it. For instance, your professor can offer extensions on assignments, course help outside class hours, and missed course notes among others.
Read: How to Ask Family and Friends for Help with Childcare
2. Keep yourself Motivated
The reason you wake up and show up for your work or that class is because something is pushing you to do it. You can easily stay at home and let life be but something is motivating you to purpose all these three goals at the same time. For this reason, it is important to be in sync with your motivator.
Knowing what motivates you is very important in this journey. Therefore identify and keep your motivation aroused. It could be your family, your children, personal goals, or your passion among other factors.
The motivation element is very important not only during the beginning of your journey but more so along the journey. It is very easy to lose focus and give up along the way but it will likely keep you on track and push you to keep at pursuing your goals.
Read: What Keeps Working Moms Motivated
3. Take Advantage of Financial Grants
Already motherhood is so financially demanding when you factor in child care, and health care among other needs. Adding study needs to this will take a toll on you because of the college needs ;all setting you further back financially.
Therefore you need financial stability and peace of mind to effectively work, parent and study. One way you can do this is by applying for grants. Some colleges are willing to offer financial aids and grants to qualifying students. Further look at the sponsorship and scholarship options available.
Speak to your dean of students or the relevant office on the available options that you have. Also see if your university has childcare-specific student aid, and a backup care program (for when your kid is sick).
In addition, look into ways that you can use to cut down on your normal expenses. It includes using coupons, and vouchers among others to buy things and get services at discounted prices.
4. Plan & Manage your Time Effectively
When you are both a working and studying mom, time is your greatest asset. You need as much time in a day as you can get to juggle between all the three work, mom and student responsibilities.
Practice good planning and time management techniques such as;
- Working remotely will help you save time , and to & for costs money. Further you get to spend more quality time with your child’s and put in some study time.
- Enroll for remote /virtual classes instead of physical classes to save on time and to & fro costs.
- Always plan your day to avoid digressing into things that are not productive and that will eat your time. A day plan is crucial to balance the necessary tasks for work, parenting and classes.
- Ensure that you have planned ahead for what you will be doing and at what particular time. Doing so will make you more productive and effective towards your school, parenting and work goals.
- Avoid time wasters such as too much screen time, too much social media and phone scrolling, chit-chatting at the office among others.
- Multitask when you can to effectively balance your time between classes, home and work. Find those tasks that you can do alongside each other. For instance, you can cook as you clean dishes, you can listen to your class notes as you drive from work among others.
- Use effective and productive apps to assist in time management and planning
Read: Effective Time Management Tips for Working Moms
5. Prioritize Self-Care
DO NOT FORGET SELF-CARE. Remember that taking care of yourself is a priority. You need to be well to effectively function in motherhood, working, and studying. The three responsibilities will take so much energy and time from you that it will be draining and without proper self-care, you can easily burn out.
As such you need to practice the right self-care approaches which include;
- Eating Right. Eating a well-balanced and adequate diet is crucial when undertaking studies and work at the same time for a full time mom. This will give you the energy you nee. Avoid junk food, and be deliberate about healthy eating.
- Getting Enough Sleep. A working mom looking to study as they work and look after their kids will need adequate sleep. A minimum of 8 hours of sleep will help to reset refresh and re-energize your body and mind for a fresh day the following day.
- Avoiding Indulging. Limit your intake of alcohol, drugs, and other harmful consumption. Also, limit how much caffeine and sugar that you are taking as they affect your energy levels and sleep pattern.
- Working Out to Keep in Shape. Working out is very important for the body, especially when one has to be a full time working mom who is also in school. In addition, it is very important for you mentally as it helps you avoid getting a mental breakdown or burnout.
- Getting Spiritual Nourishment. Connect your inner self to a spiritual being from where you derive your power and strength from. It may include praying, meditating, yoga, a nature walk, among others. It is very important too for your mental health.
- Treating Yourself. Ensure that you do something for yourself once in a while. It may include buying yourself a new dress, going for a movie date with your partner, doing lunch with your girlfriends among other things. Ensure that your social life does not drain out and that you are also engaging in self-entertainment such as your hobbies etc.
Read: How to Create an Effective Self-care Plan
Simple Tips to Avoid Burnout when Working & Studying
- Switch jobs to a more mom-friendly career/employer.
- Ensure that you have help with housework to focus on the task at hand. Ensure that the time you have outside student and working is strict for your family and not house chores.
- Look into ways of making school work manageable such as taking fewer classes than usual in a semester so that you are not too overwhelmed.
- Prioritize what is important. Let some things slide to avoid too much stress and fatigue. Do what you have to do and cut yourself some slack because you can only do so much in a day
- Be organized, and have a schedule. Stay ahead of your workload and you will not get overwhelmed.
- Don’t procrastinate or neglect any of the three responsibilities.You will balance all tree and avoid burnout by working according to plan.
- Constantly push yourself. Even when you’re exhausted and don’t want to anymore.
Read : How to Prepare to Quit Work for School
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