Find your balance: 3 big tips for working moms to help ease the juggle

When was the last time you thought, “Whoa, I have too much on my plate right now”? It was probably all of five minutes ago. That's especially true if you're a working mom.

If you’re trying to align your work goals and ambitions alongside a busy home life, you probably already know that you’re not alone. This is not a new struggle, but it is a challenge that is common for women: Balance. The mental labor required to organize, plan, coordinate, and problem-solve for every member of the household, disproportionately falls on women — particularly working mothers.¹When unexpected child care issues crop up — and they always do — 64% of moms say it’s on them to address it.² 

Feeling unbalanced?

We’ve got you. Here are some simple tips for working moms to help tip the scale in your favor.  

• Schedule a doctor’s appointment. Yep, it’s not glamorous, but it’s super easy. One of the more important ways to care for your physical health is to keep up with your annual doctor’s appointments. Think of it as a way to save yourself time and money in the long run.   

• Outsource your stress. Research shows that women who work with a financial professional have improved levels of well-being and lower financial fears. In general, 43% of women report feeling financially comfortable — but that figure increases to 53% among those who work with a financial professional.³ What do you want your life to look like? Do you want to work fewer hours? Leave a legacy? Retire earlier? A financial professional can help you figure out how you can afford it.

• Put your organization to work for you. You may already have access to plenty of benefits that can help you manage your day-to-day. Some organizations offer maternity concierge services that help with child care, meal planning, and household tasks to support working moms. Or, you may have access to a bank of backup child care days that you can use throughout the year. Some organizations offer reimbursement for child care expenses. Utilizing your employee assistance program (EAP) may give you access to counseling, legal assistance, and financial strategies. And you may have a great deal for a gym membership near your office where you can pop in during lunch.

Blurry lines: The balance between professional and personal

For women, achieving a healthy work-life balance isn’t a luxury — it’s a necessity for overall well-being. In fact, 84% of women say that maintaining work-life balance is essential to their personal wellness.^4​

 “I love my kid, I love my home life, and I love my job, but it’s hard to love them all at the same time, you know?” says Amanda B., a 33-year-old working mom. “It’s a lot.”​

Achieving work-life balance is a win for moms, a win for their kids, and a win for the organizations they work for. Women who strongly agree they’re able to maintain a healthy balance are 50% more likely to be thriving in their lives, more than twice as likely to be engaged at work, and 38% less likely to be actively looking for a new job.⁵

Working moms offer inspiration

There may be some payoff to all the strain, and that can come in the form of the children you’re working so hard to support. Instead of facing setbacks, children of working moms are inspired. Results from a Harvard Business School study suggest that daughters who grow up with working mothers earn as much as 23% more over their lifetimes than daughters of stay-at-home moms.⁶

When young men raised by working moms enter the workforce, they tend to be more supportive of women at the office, more accepting of gender equality, and, as fathers, more inclined to create a home life where their daughters can excel.⁷

If your life feels unbalanced, and you can't seem to quiet your fears of never having enough time to conquer both home and work, try incorporating one of the three simple tips into your life this week. More importantly, know that just by doing your best, you're doing something right.