it’s easy to feel completely overwhelmed when you have to juggle housework, kids, business, and life in general. I know exactly how frustrating it can be and how hopeless it can all feel.

I am a work in progress but I have definitely learned some groundbreaking ideas from some other smart and successful people. These are the 12 ways you can stop the overwhelm and become the master of your time.

12 Ways for moms to beat overwhelm and get things done

1. Divide your tasks between body & brain tasks

When I was a new mom I made the mistake of saving all my work for when my baby was taking a nap or went to bed at night. This created so much stress for me trying to squeeze everything I had to do into such a small window of time. And when my baby didn’t sleep the expected amount of time (which happened often) I was so disheartened and overwhelmed.

The problem became more acute as my baby went from taking two naps to only one…or none at all. When was I supposed to get all my work done? And what about time to relax?

Needless to say, I realized that my model was not working and was definitely not sustainable. I was also operating under the false assumption that I had to spend every waking moment with my child and oversee everything they were doing. We will get to this a bit later…

I had housework to do (laundry, cleaning, cooking, etc.) as well as working on my website and writing content. I also needed time to shower and relax a little bit. So here’s what I did.

I wrote down all my daily tasks and activities and divided them into tasks I could do while being distracted (body tasks) and ones where I needed to focus (brain tasks).

I only saved the brain tasks for when my son was sleeping. It’s still tough but it’s more realistic. It is getting progressively easier the older he gets, so hang in there!

2. Choose 3 focus areas daily

We all have to-do lists as long as our arms but all that does is create anxiety. The items on our to-do lists are usually without a deadline and contain everything from high to low priority. All this is doing is stressing you out and making you feel like a failure every day for not accomplishing nearly as many things as you thought you should do. It’s way too vague people!

I realized the error of my ways when I read The One Thing by Gary Keller and Essentialism by Greg McKeown. Both these books illustrate how multitasking is not only unrealistic but actually completely unproductive. We are not capable of doing two things (well) at the same time. Usually, both tasks are done below par. But when you focus on getting one thing done at a time, you get it done faster and do a better job.

So I scrapped the revolving multi-itemized to-do list and instead started figuring out my highest priority goals and only focusing on those until they were done. The One Thing has a brilliant website full of resources to help you identify your goals and work your way towards doing only the tasks on a daily basis that will help you achieve your goal.

The best takeaway was only having three things that I focus on every day. These are the three things that would make the biggest difference to my bottom line and are in line with my goals. They also need to be realistic. Some days my three focus areas are Getting the kitchen clean, Planning the next week, and meditating for 15 minutes.

3. Become a minimalist (in the bathroom and wardrobe)

Minimalism is not about owning nothing and living in an empty box. It is a tool to create intentionality in your life which eradicates overwhelm. Too many options lead to decision fatigue so having only the essentials at hand saves you time and conserves your mental energy for more important things. Having less also means less to tidy up, less to organize, fold and wash. Less clutter = calmer. Less is just better.

I have always had a firm skincare routine in place until I had a baby. I can’t spend the same amount of time on my routine but I should still have one and this means curating a routine that consists of essentials only. This means the products that pack the biggest punch in terms of effectiveness while leaving out all the luxury or fun items. This also simplifies shopping and saves money.

For me, that looks something like this

Morning routine:

• Face wash (second cleanse)
• Acid toner (exfoliating)
• Moisturizer (Hyaluronic acid toner/gel/serum)
• Vitamin C serum/Antioxidant Serum
• Sunscreen

Evening routine:

• Makeup remover/cleansing balm (first cleanse)
• Face wash (second cleanse)
• Acid toner (exfoliating)
• Moisturizer (Hyaluronic acid toner/gel/serum)
• Eye cream
• Acid serum/Retinol serum
• Facial oil

I think it’s important to wear a bit of makeup if that is something that matters to you. If it makes you feel ready for the day, then by all means. Don’t expect to have the time to have a full-on session though. Have the bare necessities that will help you look put together in 5 minutes.

I‘ve recently packed my essentials in a makeup bag in an attempt to get into the habit of making a bit more effort with my appearance. It’s also helped me clear some space on the bathroom counter because I’ve packed away the makeup I don’t use on a daily basis. I include a compact with a mirror so I can do my makeup anywhere in the house.

My basics are:

• Foundation/tinted moisturizer with a foundation brush
• Cream blush
• Eyebrow gel
• Cream shadow
• Mascara
• Powder compact (with mirror) and brush
• Lip balm

This entire routine takes me 5 minutes and I feel much more in charge of the day and ready for any eventuality. I do it after my skincare routine while watching my son play or while he eats breakfast and I drink coffee.

4. Schedule every task

This is my simple 3 step productivity system that you can use in conjunction with any app, note-taking software, or second-brain application. I use Google Keep, Googe Tasks, and Google Calendar with this specific system – I’ll explain how.

Step 1: Brain dump (this can happen in a journal, on a napkin, or anywhere you see fit)

This can also be for an entire project or just random things you need to remember. I usually do this in Google Keep where I can assign tags to help me find my notes later.

Step 2: Take the items on the brain dump and give them a deadline.

This is where I add tasks to Google Task where you can conveniently add a date, time, and even a reminder. This also shows up automatically on your Google Calendar.

Step 3: Check your calendar and follow through.

I have a Google Task widget on my phone that only shows my tasks with checkboxes so I can check them off – always very satisfying.

This is the entire process is important for two reasons. First, you need to empty out your brain and have the peace of mind that the task will get done. This will immediately help you feel calm and less frantic.

Your mind needs to be clear so it can operate optimally. If you are keeping track of twenty things you need to remember, you are bogging yourself down and using precious energy to stay on top of things to remember (sometimes the same things over and over again).

Second, to-do’s need a date, and goals need a deadline otherwise they are just dreams and ideas. They will never get done because you will forget. That is a fact. To-do lists are supposed to help you but they can become overwhelming if they are viewed in their entirety and not broken down by date.

I am a prime example. I have notebooks filled with ideas and goals. None of which have been transformed into reality. Why? Because they never had a deadline.

5. Plan tomorrow the night before

Knowing what needs to get done when you wake up will help you stay focused and calm. The best way is to plan what you need to do tomorrow, is to do it the night before. This sounds obvious, but we hardly ever do it. When you plan and prepare accordingly your day feels like a breeze.

There are a million ways to apply this principle. Lay your clothes out the night before. Prepare some toddler snacks. Pack the nappy bag if you know you are leaving the house.

Also, use your planner (paper or digital) to plan the next day. Have your three focus areas written down. Write down your routines if you are in the process of building them and making them habits.

6. Have a simple morning & evening routine

I write down my morning and evening routines in Google Keep as checkboxes and then I mark them off every day. The next day I just uncheck all the boxes and start again. And yes I need to be reminded every day to do things that seem logical.

You can even write down how you would like to improve tomorrow. Maybe you want to remind yourself to be more at the moment tomorrow – write it down! When you sit with your planner tomorrow you will be reminded of exactly how you want to begin the day and what your focus should be on.

Habits are what make up our lives. You either have habits that help your cause or drag you down. Having a simple morning and evening routine has saved me in more ways than one. It took tremendous effort to make the routine a habit, and some days are easier than others, but even if you don’t get it right every morning and evening – you will feel more in charge of your day and have less anxiety. The aim is progress over perfection.

My routines are a combination of housework that I need to stay on top of so it doesn’t get out of hand as well as self-care routines that I tend to neglect. I find these beneficial because they take the thinking out of menial tasks and help keep chaos at bay.

This is my current morning routine

In no particular order

• Do a load of laundry
• Unpack the dishwasher while I boil the kettle
• Journal & drink coffee (while my son plays)
• Wash my face and do my skincare routine
• Do makeup while my son eats breakfast
• Get dressed
• Do some exercise

7. Don’t make play your job

The biggest complaint I hear from parents who work from home is that they don’t know how to entertain their kids while they need to attend to their work/other tasks. This is where I feel most parents are in the dark about their role in their child’s play.

The more you entertain your child, the more entertainment they crave. Not only do they become reliant on an adult telling them what to play and how to play, but they also become a passive bystander and not a creator of the play. After a while, they don’t know how to be the inventor of their own games and this is very sad. By doing something we think is helping them we are essentially robbing them of the ability to be creative and independent.

There is so much to say about this topic that I could write a novel, but here’s the bullet point version.

• Allow your child to always choose their own activity (from birth) and do not interfere or interject or rescue. Your responsibilty is to provide age appropriate materials for them to play with and make sure they can access it safely. That’s it.
• Babies and toddlers do not get bored.
• Screens are not your friend (they seem so in the short run but they are very damaging for young children)
• Self-directed play is how children learn. If they are not afforded the oppertunity – they lack vital skills.
• Create a safe area where your children can play while you have peace of mind.

8. Ditch social media

This should be totally obvious but most people spend hours a day on social media and then they wonder why they are so stressed, anxious, and feel like they have no time…This is all I’m going to say about this. Give yourself times where you can go and look if you feel like your life depends on it but trust me when I say, you are not missing anything and you will feel so much better once you are no longer hooked.

9. Block, batch and theme your tasks

The easiest way to organize your time is by creating a structure for your days, weeks, and months. The best ways I’ve found to do this is by Batching similar activities, Assigning a theme to each day of the week, and by blocking my time (three-hour chunks) during the day.

You don’t have to use all of these strategies, but the idea is just to create some structure. When you have young children it’s especially helpful to have a consistent routine in place around nap times, meal times, bedtime routine, etc. You can then use this structure to plan your time effectively.

My themes and how I use batching always change as my projects change and my son grows older, so this is just an example of how your day could look.

You would ideally plan each area of your life separately, like work, house chores, child activities, personal activities, etc.

You can then apply batch and themed workdays to each of these categories.

My child’s activities are themed as follows:

Monday: Visit the library ( because this is my day to buy groceries & run errands)

Tuesday: Food prep/practical life activity (because I have to meal prep)

Wednesday: Arts & Crafts

Thursday: Gardening activity or visit the Nursery (because this is when I tend to the garden)

Friday: STEM activity

Saturday: Baking activity

Sunday: Music & Movement

I do the same thing with my work schedule and the House chores schedule. Have a look at my Google sheet.

10. Set clear and confident boundaries

There is nothing that can tap your energy more and overwhelm you quicker than constant battles with your kids or trying to ride the storm of their emotions. Here’s the good news. It doesn’t have to be so labor-intensive. Setting boundaries and sticking to them confidently will not only benefit your children but also help you feel less resentful towards your kids.

11. Automate/Outsource

When you work out how much your time is worth, you will begin to understand that some tasks should be outsourced or automated in some way.

Time is the most precious commodity that you have and most of us are willing to give it up for nothing. I would rather spend an hour with my child than clean the kitchen. My time is better spent on the activities that add value to my life and the lives of my family.

There is no shame in outsourcing menial tasks and even important tasks that someone else can do for you. There is no point in trying to do it all. This is a fool’s errand. If I could afford to hire someone to clean my house, I would and so should you.

Read this article by James Clear ‘The Value Of Time: How much is your time really worth? It even includes a Google spreadsheet to help you calculate the value of your time.

12. Mobilize ‘dead’ time to learn

When you look after little kids all day and try to juggle work and life – you probably feel like there is no time to learn anything new or read a book. I think this greatly contributes to feeling overwhelmed because you desperately want to progress in life by learning new things or pursuing things you are interested in. It’s highly frustrating when you feel like you have no option to satisfy this need and every day just starts flowing into each other and you are still at level 0 with your unfulfilled dreams and goals.

This is where Bluetooth headphones enter the scene. I use mine every day and it is the only time I advocate multi-tasking. I listen to audiobooks or podcasts while cooking, folding laundry, washing dishes, cleaning your home (this is what I call ‘dead’ time).

Because you are only listening to someone speaking, you will still be able to hear your child or anyone else. You will not get lost or lose your ability to hear what goes on around you. Using my headphones to listen to podcasts and audiobooks has even made me look forward to packing the dishwasher or chopping vegetables.

I have learned so much and read so many books thanks to this system.

I really hope this helps you as much as it has helped me. Nothing is a silver bullet but there are things that make a significant difference.

You can do this!