15 Work-Life Balance Hacks Every Mom Needs in Her Life Right Now

We get it. "Work-life balance" sounds like a joke when your days are full of work emails, laundry piles, and school drop-offs. It's easy to forget you still deserve a life outside of motherhood, and it's not just one long parenting to-do list.

So how do you get back to that part of life that feels like yours alone? It starts with small mindset shifts, life hacks, and a bit of encouragement to help you get out of survival mode. Here's inspiration for you to start making space for yourself again.

5 Realities About Work-Life Balance

Figuring out a work-life balance that suits you starts with being honest about what's happening and accepting that you can't control everything. Here are five things to tell yourself repeatedly, so you can give your brain and energy a break.

1. You can't achieve balance all at once.

And how you juggle the different parts of your life may not look the same as it does for someone else. Clinical psychologist and "parenting whisperer" Dr. Becky Kennedy writes on LinkedIn, "Balance isn't a single moment—it's a rhythm." Some weeks, work takes more. Other weeks, the family does. Sure, that rhythm may feel messy, and that's perfectly fine.

2. Yes, guilt comes with the territory.

But YOU can make it optional because letting guilt run your life messes with your overall well-being. A study in the Journal of Vocational Behavior found that working moms often sacrifice their time, second-guess their decisions, and push themselves harder to compensate for the work-family guilt. Your family will love whether you work late or miss a school game.

3. Self-care activities are not luxuries.

If the result is a healthier you, self-care becomes a necessity rather than an indulgence. Your kids learn by watching you make space for your own life. So, skip the bedtime routine once in a while to attend a yoga class or enjoy a night out with friends.

4. Let go of the things that don't serve you.

The way to find a good work-life balance mindset is to tackle some "emotional decluttering." In short, let go of what's weighing you down, such as perfectionism and toxic comparisons. Most importantly, stop feeling like you have to be the 24/7 default parent.

5. You can't please everyone.

You're not responsible for everyone’s happiness, including your boss, kids, or extended family. Full stop.

10 Ways to Protect Your Time and Energy

Many working moms struggle with guilt, which makes them question their choices.

Once you rethink what work-life balance means for you (progress instead of perfection), focusing on what helps becomes easier. These household hacks save energy and time so you can manage work, motherhood, and everything else. Pick the ones that suit your life right now.

1. Outsource to save brain space.

Many moms share having a yaya is what they consider their work-life balance hack. And guess what? Even the parenting whisperer has a full-time babysitter whom Kennedy describes as "instrumental to our family’s functioning."

No help? "Buy" back time where you can, especially if you don't have help. Have groceries delivered, hire cleaning services, and send those dirty clothes to the laundromat.

2. Time-block your personal life, like your meetings.

You come home from work, but you're so wiped out that your evenings disappear into laundry, scrolling, and guilt. With time-blocking, you can divide your day into periods and dedicate a specific task for each block, from work to errands to rest. This way, you can keep distractions and multitasking to a minimum.

3. Simplify your week with once-a-month meal planning.

Yes, planning an entire month’s worth of dinners in one go will take a lot of time, but only in the beginning! You glance at the weekly menu and make one grocery list with no last-minute stress about what to cook. That frees up valuable mental space every week!

Try using a spreadsheet for your meal planning where you can drag and drop go-to recipes for each day. Color-code the protein or type (chicken, fish, vegetarian, etc.) to avoid back-to-back repeats. Then, plan for leftovers on your busiest nights.

4. Splurge on appliances that lighten your load.

If an expensive vacuum means your floors stay cleaner, it’s worth every cent. A fast, reliable coffee maker that delivers a hot cup in under 10 minutes and keeps it hot for two hours? That's a sanity saver. Anything that helps you save time, ease your stress, or make life a little easier is worth the investment!

5. Set yourself up for the win the night before.

Laying out your clothes, prepping the kids’ bags, or setting the coffee to brew before bed can help you start the day with less chaos. And if mornings are messy (they usually are), throw on a robe or an old zip-up top over your outfit to avoid changing after the inevitable spill.

Bonus tip: Buy extra socks and underwear for the kids so you’re not doing emergency laundry to get through the week.

6. Streamline the laundry chaos with mesh bags.

Speaking of laundry, if you do it for the whole family in one load, use large mesh laundry bags for each person’s socks and underwear. When it's time to undress, they toss their small items into their bag. You throw the whole bag into the wash and dryer. No more guessing whose tiny sock belongs to whom, and no more mismatched drawer drama.

7. Stash baby essentials in every corner.

You're not being extra if you have alcohol, wipes, and onesies everywhere in the house.

New mom? You'll quickly realize how tiring it can be to keep running to the nursery whenever there's a diaper emergency, spit-up incidents, or sticky fingers. So, put small bins or baskets of essentials in key spots around the house: diapers, wipes, alcohol or sanitizer, a burp cloth, and maybe even a snack stash for you. As your child grows, the contents in the bin can change with them, from teething gel and bibs to crayons and spare undies.

8. Divide household labor by category, not task.

Instead of splitting chores like "you cook, I’ll clean," divide your household into categories. For example, your partner runs everything food-related, like groceries, cooking, and cleanup. Meanwhile, you take charge of clothing, such as laundry and keeping track of what needs replacing. This way, you don’t have to constantly check in or hand off tasks because it’s clear who owns what.

9. Be the CEO of your household.

Carve out a weekly “house CEO hour” to catch up on the schedule and plan logistics. Hold a quick meeting with your support crew, from your partner to your parents or yaya. A "meeting" may sound a little cheesy, but it’s all about keeping things running smoothly (like at work!). Plus, share that calendar of activities with your partner if you haven't done so already.

10. Choose a partner, not an assistant.

The unbeatable work-life balance hack is having a partner who views household tasks as their responsibility, not just something to help with. Besides, men can be quick at washing dishes and cleaning the kitchen. Let him share the load during your busy work periods.

Motherhood doesn’t mean your life is over. However, you need to be more intentional about thinking and pursuing work-life balance. It takes practice and much self-compassion to achieve boundaries, joy, and your Spotify playlist! Don't be afraid to put yourself first!

Share your work-life balance hack on ParenTeam's Facebook group!