Time Management Tips for Juggling Caregiving & Parenting
As a parent navigating motherhood while simultaneously taking care of an aging parent it is important to acknowledge the unique challenges that we as parents face. The one thing I personally struggle with the most is time management. There never seems to be enough time in the day to do anything. My to do lists are long, while having to worry about things like drop off/pick up, coordinating appointments and such. I can truly go on and on about these tasks and while I’m not complaining I find it extremely frustrating to find the TIME to do all the things that I need to do. One of the most important things you can do as a caregiver no matter what stage you are at is being effective at time management. How do you do this? Well here are some tips that have helped me and it’s still not a perfect system but it has helped me a lot.
Effective Time Management
Identify & Prioritize: Identifying the things that are most important to you in terms of the tasks that you need to complete. If you want to do that weekly, great but for me personally I do it on a daily basis. I think about the day ahead and all the things that I need to do. First thing is first prioritizing the non-negotiables. These are the variables that you have no control over that are a must. For example, drop off your kid at school. That’s at least a daily task that doesn’t change unless it’s a holiday or there is no school for whatever the reason. Then I think about those hours my kid is at school and what are the things that I can do during those hours to maximize my time wisely. Now I work full time so during those hours I'm working my 9-5 job. It's in between time, short brief periods that I can manage to do specific tasks such as a quick grocery run during my lunch break, during my 15 minute breaks, walking a few laps when I can to get some steps in. If I need to make a call like coordinating an appointment or two for my mom I’ll use this time to multitask accordingly.
Delegate: Is there any way to delegate tasks to someone else in your life to assist you. There are certain tasks that I realize I can’t do all the time. As much as I’d love to I just cannot and I’ve learned to be ok with that. Where can I get help? Things like grocery shopping, picking up medications from the pharmacy, I try to have someone else do when I simply am unavailable. Think about it, do you have to do all the things or is it out of these need to do all the things? I’ve learned that many of us, myself included, deal with a super human complex where I feel that I have to do all the things. Well I'm here to tell you it’s ok to let someone else do certain things when you are unable to. I do not wear a cape nor do I have superhuman strengths or abilities and you shouldn’t feel that you have to.
Where can I get help?
Think about it, do you have to do all the things or is it out of these need to do all the things? I’ve learned that many of us, myself included, are dealing with a super human complex where I feel that I have to do all the things.
Self-Affirmations: Hear me out here it sounds a bit weird maybe? I find affirmations to be very helpful in the sense that it helps to wire your brain to acknowledge that it is ok to ask for help, statements like, “It is ok to ask for help, or “I do not have to do all the things” oddly enough seem to trigger something in my brain that gives me the motivation that I need to ask others for help where I need it.
Therapy: Therapy has many benefits especially if you find the right therapist. The benefits of connecting with someone who can understand, acknowledge and provide you with the tools needed to help you cope with life transitions is invaluable. Ask around, explore resources available to you to seek therapy if you are open to it. Not sure where to start? There is a wide range of resources that you can explore depending where you are. Not sure where to start? Here are some places you can try.
Therapy Resources
These are just a few tips to help you manage your time to help alleviate some of the stress that comes with juggling caregiving and motherhood. It is not easy and I firmly believe that one of the hardest things that you will ever have to do is take care of an aging parent. WIth the right guidance and resources you can find some solace in knowing that while it can be an isolating experience you don’t have to be completely alone in your journey.
