Being a working mom can feel like a never-ending juggling act. When my children were younger, I remember that some days, it was like no matter how early I woke up or how much I planned, there was still too much to do and not enough time to do it.
I know I’m not the only one who’s felt this way. You start the day with the best intentions, but by the time it’s over, you’re wondering where all the hours went and why you still feel behind.
It’s exhausting. And let’s be honest—sometimes it feels like no matter how hard you try, you’re just barely keeping your head above water.
The problem isn’t that we’re not doing enough. The problem is that we’re doing too much of the wrong things and not enough of what actually helps.
No one ever sat us down and said, “Here’s how to manage your time in a way that actually makes life easier.” We were just expected to figure it out as we went, and for most of us, that means trying to do everything at once.
I’ve been there. Multitasking, pushing through, squeezing things in, thinking if I could just get a little more done, then I’d finally feel caught up. But that never actually happens, does it?
Here’s the thing – what if the answer isn’t about doing more but about doing things differently? What if a few simple shifts could make your days feel easier, less rushed, and more in control?
Imagine waking up and knowing exactly what needs your attention instead of feeling pulled in a million directions. Imagine ending the day feeling good about what you got done instead of beating yourself up for what you didn’t.
That’s what good time management habits can do. They don’t just help you get more done—they help you feel better while doing it.
If you’ve ever felt like there’s just never enough time, I want you to know you’re not alone. But what if that feeling isn’t because of how much you have to do, but because of how your time is being managed?
Today, I want to share some of the best time management habits for working moms. Not tricks or hacks—just simple habits that actually work.
This week, I’m going to discuss why it feels like there’s never enough time and the best time management habits for working moms.
Why Does It Feel Like There’s Never Enough Time?
Most working moms I know have tried everything to get more done—waking up earlier, staying up later, squeezing in work during lunch, or even multitasking while helping with homework. On paper, it looks like you’re being productive, but in reality, it just leaves you feeling drained and stretched too thin.
It’s easy to think the problem is that there’s simply too much to do. But if that were true, then working longer hours or multitasking would solve it. Instead, it just creates more stress and less time for yourself.
Take a typical evening: You’re answering emails while trying to cook dinner, keeping an ear on the kids, and mentally running through tomorrow’s schedule. By the time dinner is done, you barely remember eating, and somehow, the email you started never actually got sent.
Multitasking feels like the only way to survive, but it actually makes everything take longer. Your brain isn’t designed to switch back and forth between tasks quickly—it has to pause and refocus each time, which wastes more time than you realize.
And then there’s the to-do list. You write everything down, thinking it will help you stay on track. But instead, the list just keeps growing, and the important things get buried under the small, urgent ones.
So, you spend the day tackling what feels pressing—like responding to a client email right away—while the bigger things, like planning for an important deadline, get pushed off until later.
Without a clear way to manage time, the day fills up with distractions, interruptions, and tasks that weren’t even on your radar that morning. You start the day with a plan, but by the afternoon, you’re just reacting to whatever comes up.
The frustrating part is that it’s not that you’re not working hard enough. It’s that time is slipping away on things that don’t actually move the needle.
So, how do you take back control? It’s not about squeezing more into your day—it’s about learning the habits that make time work for you instead of against you. Let’s talk about what those habits are.
The Best Time Management Habits for Working Moms
I’ve been studying and teaching time management for a long time, and I can tell you this – managing time well isn’t about doing more—it’s about doing things differently. A few simple habits can make the difference between feeling overwhelmed and feeling in control. Here are the best time management habits that actually work.
1. Time Blocking with Flexibility
Think of your time like a financial budget. Just like you wouldn’t spend money randomly and hope there’s enough left at the end of the month, you don’t want to spend time without a plan. Time blocking helps you assign tasks to specific time slots so you know exactly when things are getting done.
But here’s the key—your schedule needs breathing room. If you plan every minute without any wiggle room, one unexpected delay throws everything off. Instead, build in buffer time. If a task should take 30 minutes, give yourself 40. If a meeting ends early, use that extra time to catch your breath instead of cramming in something else.
For example, instead of saying, “I’ll get my work done sometime between meetings,” block off 90 minutes for focused work, with a 10-minute break built in. That way, you’re working with your brain, not against it.
2. The ‘Decide in Advance’ Habit
Ever wake up and immediately feel overwhelmed by everything you need to do? That’s decision fatigue kicking in before you even get out of bed. The more decisions you have to make during the day, the more exhausted you feel—especially when juggling work and family.
A simple way to avoid this is to decide in advance. Take five minutes the night before to plan out your next day—what’s getting done, when, and how long you’re giving yourself for each task. This isn’t about being rigid; it’s about starting the day with a clear direction instead of scrambling to figure it out in the moment.
For example, instead of waking up and wondering when you’ll have time to answer emails, you decide, “From 10 to 10:30, I’ll check and respond to emails, then move on.” This stops you from checking your inbox all day and lets you focus on more important work.
3. Prioritizing Based on Impact, Not Urgency
Not everything that feels urgent is actually important. But when we’re constantly reacting to emails, messages, and last-minute requests, it’s easy to spend the whole day putting out fires instead of making real progress.
Before jumping into a task, ask yourself: Will this make a real difference, or does it just feel urgent? For example, responding immediately to every client email might feel necessary, but finishing a big project on time is what actually moves your business forward.
A good rule of thumb: If something is both high impact and urgent, do it now. If it’s high impact but not urgent, schedule time for it. If it’s urgent but low impact, delegate it or set limits. And if it’s neither? It probably doesn’t need your time at all.
4. Learning to Say ‘Let Me Get Back to You’
If you’re someone who says yes before thinking it through or you have people-pleasing tendencies, this habit will change everything. Instead of automatically agreeing to a request, practice saying, “Let me get back to you.” This simple phrase gives you time to decide if something actually fits your priorities.
For example, if a coworker asks, “Can you take on this extra project?” instead of immediately saying yes, you say, “Let me check my workload and get back to you.” This creates space to evaluate whether it’s something you want to take on or if it would stretch you too thin.
The more you practice this, the easier it gets. And the best part? You’ll find that people respect your time more when they see you being intentional about it.
5. Managing Energy, Not Just Time
Time is limited, but energy is something you can manage. If you’re constantly running on empty, no amount of planning will help—you’ll always feel behind. The key is to work with your energy, not against it.
Think about when you feel most focused during the day. If you’re sharpest in the morning, that’s when you should tackle your hardest work. If you tend to crash in the afternoon, plan easier tasks then.
Breaks are just as important. Taking 5-10 minutes to step away, stretch, or even breathe can reset your energy and help you work more efficiently. And don’t underestimate the power of sleep—staying up late to “catch up” usually backfires the next day.
For example, instead of pushing through a long stretch of work, try working in focused blocks of time with short breaks in between. You’ll actually get more done and feel less drained at the end of the day.
The truth is that time management isn’t about cramming more into your day—it’s about making time work for you. When you have the right habits in place, everything starts to feel a little easier.
Now that we’ve talked about what works, let’s wrap up with what this all means for you.
The bottom line is that being a working mom will always come with a lot of moving pieces, but that doesn’t mean you have to feel overwhelmed by time. Small changes in the way you manage your day can make a huge difference in how you feel and what you accomplish.
You don’t need more hours in the day—you just need better habits to make the most of the time you already have. Whether it’s time blocking, deciding in advance, or simply learning to pause before saying yes, these habits help you take back control instead of constantly reacting.
The best part? You don’t have to do it all at once. Start with one habit, see how it works for you, and build from there. Over time, you’ll notice that managing time feels easier, and your days feel more in control.
Questions to consider
Question: What’s one habit that’s currently working for me, and what’s one that’s not?
Before making any changes, it helps to know what’s already working. Maybe you’re great at planning ahead but struggle with saying no to last-minute requests. Or maybe you’re good at blocking time for work but find yourself constantly distracted.
Take a minute to think about what’s helping you manage your time well and what’s making your days harder. The goal isn’t to do everything perfectly—it’s to figure out where small adjustments could make a big difference.
Question: Where am I filling my time with urgency instead of impact?
It’s easy to spend the whole day putting out fires, answering emails, and responding to last-minute requests. But just because something feels urgent doesn’t mean it’s actually high impact.
Think about your typical day. Are you spending more time reacting to what’s in front of you instead of focusing on what truly matters? The more you prioritize based on impact rather than urgency, the more control you’ll have over your time.
Question: What’s one small change I can commit to this week to create more control over my time?
Big changes don’t happen overnight, but small changes add up quickly. Maybe you decide to start planning your day the night before. Maybe you block off focused work time in the morning. Or maybe you just start saying, “Let me get back to you” instead of automatically saying yes.
The key is to choose something simple and doable. What’s one thing you can commit to this week that will help you feel more in control of your time?