How to Set Boundaries as a Working Mom

As driven professional working moms, we often fall prey to over-serving and over-delivering.  You get a high on accomplishing other people "To-Do's" but when it comes time for yourself you’re too tired, too overwhelmed and too depleted. 

I realize you are faced with constant tugs and sounds of desperate callings, "Mom, where are you?!!," or, "Can you help me?” or “Will you do this?" or  “Can you get me…??” This can even show up in your career in the form of unlimited text messages, emails, and long drawn out meetings. 

As a mom, manager or employee is your position to serve thy “organization.”   But, have you thought about by doing less you may be leading more? By creating boundaries you allow others to solve problems, become creative, effective and efficient. By creating boundaries you reduce the amount of time people crawl up into your space which helps to reduce your level of crankiness, frustration, and pivoting.  When you are not at your best you will continue to deliver subpar results - which is so not you! 

Creating boundaries is extremely important because when you let everyone and everything in you create LESS space for yourself - the #1 thing you’re craving!  As much as you LOVE to set foot into other people’s spaces, creating healthy boundaries is a power force which will benefit all the parties involved. If an effort to work full time at home while trying to home school without going bat-shit crazy and grabbing the bottle of wine by 3pm, I listed three of my favorite hacks in setting boundaries as a working mom. 

3 ways to set boundaries as a working mom:

1. Set up a red, yellow, & green light system
• Construct a Red, Yellow, Green light sign or find objects which represent this system, legos are perfect
• Red signals “DO NOT DISTURB.”   You are considered 100% off limits unless someone is bleeding :) 
• Yellow signals “AVAILABLE SOON.”  It provides others with “I will be available in ~5-10 minutes.”
• Green signals “FREE TO ENTER.”
2. Rate your space
• Let others know where you stand by using numbers
• 10 = “Don’t mess with me, I need 20 minutes to decompress.” 
• 9 = “If you talk, I may bite. I need 10 minutes” 
• 1 = “Best day ever, let’s drink champagne!”
3. Define what is not serving you.
• What are you doing that someone else is more than capable of?
• What negative energy and thoughts can you reduce and replace with positive messages?
• Who are you spending on with and how do they make you feel?

“Be there for others, but never leave yourself behind.”

-Dodinsky

As mass lifestyle chaos sets in I often have to step back and evaluate, breathe and create boundaries around 3 key items.  Is it educational? Is it entertaining? Or, is it inspiring or motivating? If not, then I need to let it go. 

REV UP: What will you choose to let go this week?

#1 Self Love Fan,

Mary

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