Five Ways Busy Mums Can Fight Hurry
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As a mum working from home (with no live-in helper), I know full well how easy it is to feel like there’s never enough time.
Constantly context-switching between homemaking mode, work mode, and mum mode can take a toll, with multiple responsibilities from the work and home front piling up. In the modern city context, where women often hold multiple roles, it’s no wonder many mums live in a constant state of anxiety, hurry, and overwhelm. That was my reality for years.
So I reverse engineered my life, set up some systems to safeguard my peace, and that allowed me to show up as fully as possible in each of my roles.
These are the five things I practice on a daily basis and they have made ALL the difference.
Buffer time between context switches
I put 15 - 30 minutes between when I log off from work and when I leave the house for school pickup. The actual amount of time doesn’t matter as long as you factor in a buffer in between transitions.
In the past, I used to work till the very last minute, which meant leaving the house in a state where my mind was crowded with thoughts from the work day.
While I could have worked on more things in that buffer time, I’ve learned that the buffer helps me show up more present, more calm, and less frazzled. The buffer gives me time to decompress. What do I do during the buffer time? I simply potter about the house, or find something enjoyable to do with low cognitive load to let my mind rest. (Cat naps are not off the cards, if I need it that particular day, ha!)
It’s worth repeating: the exact number isn’t the point. 5 minutes, 15 minutes, as long as it’s there. Even a small buffer can work wonders for helping our nervous system switch gears.
2. Don’t multitask or try to play multiple roles at once.
Instead, I do my best to focus on one task at a time, remaining in one mode at a time. I don’t try to do it all.
Attempting to do all things at once is a surefire way for me to lose track, and it even backfires — I end up wasting more time and mental bandwidth as a result.
For me, this looks like — when I’m at work, I don’t “take a break” by folding laundry. Likewise, when I’m with my son at the playground, I don’t check my phone for work matters like replying DMs or checking emails. And on no-school days, I don’t try to be “biz owner Sam” and “mother Sam” simultaneously, and simply accept the fact that I can only work when he naps, and I give myself grace for that.
The mindset I plug into on days like this is: not everything has to be urgent all at once.
3. Prioritise steadiness over speed.
I’m no longer chasing the narratives, “to-haves” and timelines that are popular in our modern society, such as:
Money timelines — e.g. “By age XYZ, you should have $ABC amount in your bank, and more to spare for investing.”
What other children have — e.g. being enrolled in popular enrichment programs, sports and interests classes, the trendiest toys etc.
What “every other mum” appears to be able to do — cooking from scratch, baking bread, sensory play, organising playdates, arts and crafts… the list goes on
It’s not that these aspirations and goals are trivial, or unnecessary. In fact many of these are meaningful pursuits and good skills to have. However, I accept that I have limitations. I cannot accomplish everything all at once in my current season. Some things are good for this season, and other things can wait for the next season. What is important is to steward well the current resources and opportunities within the time and capacity I have right now.
4. Set social media limits to preserve my peace.
Because my work relies heavily on social media (Instagram, specifically), I don’t allow myself to scroll for leisure during work mode. And when I’m out of work mode, I set myself a time limit each day using the in-app feature so that it reminds me when I’ve hit my quota and it’s time to close the app.
There’s more to be said about social media use and I will reserve it for another post!
5. Find grounding in a regular Bible reading habit
Honestly, I don’t “feel” like reading my Bible everyday, so I do this imperfectly.
But I have found Scripture to be so incredibly grounding for me. First, because it truly is the living Word of God that gives wisdom, instruction, hope and comfort. Second, because it helps me re-orient my heart to look towards things that are of eternal significance, and puts my worries about temporary complaints and discomforts about my life in perspective. It helps me to draw strength from Christ and that has been the single most restful and replenishing thing that sustains me — no matter what kind of day I’m having.
On that note, I’m working on a resource to help mums build a Bible reading habit that you’ll actually keep and that actually works especially in the busy season of raising littles, where time and mental bandwidth are low in supply.
If that’s something you will need, be sure to get yourself on my email list so that you can receive updates of when that is ready and how you can get that resource!
From my heart, as a mommy content creator:
Even as someone who shares about motherhood online, I want to be so careful not to hold up a picture-perfect ideal for you to follow.
I never want to give you the impression that I’ve figured it out — or worse, that this is the standard and you should strive to meet it.
What I share isn’t THE blueprint or THE how-to manual for godly motherhood. It’s just my simple journey as I try to follow Christ in this season. If anything, I hope my life doesn’t say, “Look at me, be like me”… but “Look at Christ, now let’s follow Him.”
DID YOU FIND THIS HELPFUL?
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About the Writer
Hi, I’m Samantha
I’m a stay-home-working mum to a preschooling son and a handful of plants I’m trying to keep alive. I’m also a proud and grateful wife to a gentle nerd #ITsupportforlife.
As a former teacher and church worker, I have a heart and passion for journeying with others — currently through my work at The Hearthmakers, where I’m passionate about helping busy mums slow down, tend their souls, and stay rooted in Christ in the early motherhood years so that they can build a lasting legacy of faith in their family.
Follow along @thehearthmakers for more stories of everyday mum life in sunny-city Singapore, reflections on faith, and occasional glimpses into my creative pursuits!
