coParenting: Tips for Stressed Working Parents

coParenting: Tips for Stressed Working Parents

Many of you may not know this, but I’ve been a graduate student mom, work out of the home mom and now work from home mom. Navigating all of these seasons through my motherhood journey has had their challenges especially balancing family and home. One thing I realize as I reflect on my life in all of these phases is that I managed best when I was organized, and my apartment was a calm place where I could think clearly. Clutter is our number one enemy as moms, and even if you’re not a shopaholic buying new things constantly, just having small children means you will have a high turnover of stuff as your children grow. You can either allow it to stress you out or you can use the little time you have to create a peaceful home environment where you can de-stress and reenergize yourself to face the world and parenting. I’m not perfect, but I want to help by sharing what works for me. I do these three simple things with the little time I have, and they make a big difference and help me achieve a #ONEStateofMind.

Declutter: A little by a little

I know it’s not just me because whenever I chat with my friends, we all agree that clutter seems inescapable. Toys, baby products, and clothes could make us feel like we’re drowning in stuff. Last fall, while I was nesting for the baby, it took me a day to clear out a closet, reorganize it and determine that more storage space was needed. I haven’t had many more problems since I met that need. You may not have a full day to commit to a project like that, (I know I don’t) so break it down to one hour at a time.

For instance, this week, I tackled the kids’ toys and books. I tossed out broken toys or the ones they’ve grown out of. I did this in one hour, and I did it on Saturday morning while catching up on some haul videos on YouTube, so it didn’t feel stressful at all.  You can make a schedule to tackle a small project every day or every week to declutter, don’t overwhelm yourself trying to do everything at the same time.  Remember all of the things didn’t come into your home and become clutter at the same time, they came in bit by bit, and you can get rid of them bit by bit. 

Fresh smelling home

I love it when my home smells good! There is nothing quite like walking into your home after a long day and being greeted by a great smell. We all know there are odors associated with a young family from smelly diapers, to lunchboxes with rotting food to spoiled milk we never got around to using. Even though those odors stress me out, I’ve avoided using air fresheners for years, mostly because I was concerned about using possibly harsh chemicals around my children. However, I don’t have to worry about that any longer after trying and liking Febreze ONE, which has no aerosols (it’s a light mist), no dyes and no heavy perfumes. I’ve been using Febreze ONE throughout our home from the upholstery to the curtains to the closets, so I can have a relaxed state of mind. Febreze ONE comes in three nature-inspired scents: Citrus, Bamboo, and Orchid. Bamboo can help you feel calm, and Citrus helps to energize, and the smell of orchid can help you feel calm and soothed. Actually, Febreze ONE works so well that it was named 2018 Product of the Year.

Sprinkle visual inspiration throughout your home.

Whether it’s your favorite inspirational quotes,  your kids’ artwork, cards from friends, books that motivate you or pictures with happy memories. I’ve found that the more visual inspiration I sprinkle around my home, the more relaxed I am despite the long to-do list of motherhood and work responsibilities.

Doing these three small things that I believe working moms should have time to do (despite our busy schedules) will help us regroup, feel less stressed and enjoy a calm home. This is important for us moms to be at our best.

 How do you create a calm home environment as a working mom? What type of scent helps you to relax in your home? 

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