Balancing Work and Mum Life — If That’s Even a Thing

Let’s be honest right from the start: the phrase “work-life balance” feels like a bit of a myth once you become a mum. Some days I feel like I’m nailing it; sending emails with one hand while holding a teething baby with the other. Other days, I’m not even sure what I achieved beyond keeping everyone (including myself) fed and clothed. And that, honestly, feels like enough.

Trying to balance work and motherhood is less of a neat scale and more of a constantly shifting juggle. Some days the work hat fits comfortably. Other days, the mum hat takes over, and that’s okay. The trick, I’ve found, isn’t about doing it all at once. It’s about giving myself permission to shift focus, to be present where I am, and to let go of the pressure to be everything to everyone, all the time.

🎯 What “Balance” Really Looks Like (For Me)

It’s not 50/50. It’s not perfect time-blocking. It’s often messy and unpredictable.

Balance, for me, looks like:

• Accepting that some days are work-heavy, and that doesn’t make me a bad mum.

• Being okay with slow starts or interruptions during Zoom calls, because life happens.

• Letting the to-do list breathe when I need to cuddle my little one a bit longer.

• Recognising that rest is productive too, especially when I’m running on empty.

It’s about being flexible, kind to myself, and remembering that doing my best looks different every day. Sometimes it means ticking off everything on my to-do list with a sense of momentum, and other times it means simply getting through the day with a tired smile and a baby in one arm. It means accepting that productivity isn’t always the goal — presence is. After all, showing up, however imperfectly, is more than enough.

💻 What Helps Me Stay Sane (Most Days)

Finding any sort of rhythm between work and mum life can feel like chasing a moving target — but over time, I’ve discovered a few habits and mindset shifts that help me feel a little more grounded. They’re not perfect solutions, but they give my days some structure and make the juggle feel a bit more manageable. Here are a few things that help me keep some kind of rhythm:

• Routines, not rigid schedules – I loosely structure my day around naps, meals, and energy levels. This gives me direction without setting myself up to fail.

• Batch working when possible – I try to group tasks that require focus and knock them out in chunks during nap time or when I have childcare.

• Lowering the bar – Sometimes “good enough” is absolutely good enough. The world won’t fall apart if dinner is frozen pizza or if an email goes out tomorrow instead of today.

• Communicating openly – With my partner, my clients, my colleagues. Transparency builds trust, and most people are more understanding than we think.

  
  

💛 The Emotional Load is Real

Let’s not forget the mental weight; the snack-packing, the appointment-scheduling, the always-knowing-where-the-dummy-is kind of stuff. It’s invisible but exhausting. I’m learning (slowly) to share that load more. To ask for help. To stop apologising for needing space. Because while I can do a lot, I shouldn’t have to do it all.

🌱 Progress Over Perfection

There’s no magic formula. No perfect planner. No morning routine that guarantees everything will run smoothly. But there is growth. There are little wins. There are the moments where I look at my child and my work and feel proud of both.

So yes, balancing work and mum life might be a thing — just not in the way we imagined. Not flawless. Not evenly split. But beautifully real, wildly unpredictable, and constantly evolving.

To the mums out there doing their best in both worlds: I see you. You’re not alone. And you’re doing better than you think.