In today 's economic climate being a working mum can feel like a necessity rather than a choice. Even though we tell ourselves daily that we are doing what is best for our children and our family, there is still that niggling doubt and the voice in the corner of our mind that makes us question the choices we have made.

We will often find that when at work we are thinking of our little ones and when at home will find it difficult to switch off from the challenges and stresses of life at the office. So how do we achieve that perfect balance? How do we ensure that our time at work is effective and our time at home is nurturing and fulfilling for us and for our children.

I would like to share with you some useful and rewarding strategies that I have discovered over the past 2 years. As a business owner and a mother of a happy and healthy 2 year old I have been lucky enough to find peace and harmony as a working mum.

When at work I used to carry this constant heavy feeling of guilt. No matter how subtle this feeling, it was always present. When at work, I was always conscious that the most precious person in my life was being taken care of by someone else. With this on my mind on a day to day basis, how could I be effective at work? Quite simply, I wasn't. I begrudgingly went to work and did just a good enough job. I would then rush out of the door like a maniac on a mission at 5pm anticipating a joyful reunion with my special little person. Of course that reunion was always joyful and will always be. I was still confident that I could find a way to achieve that bliss without the pain and guilt throughout the day.

At home, I 'd be conscious that I 'd spent most of my day at work being ineffective. I 'd not focused 100% on the day job. My mind had been elsewhere, busy dealing with self inflicted guilt. This was a real dilemma, because if I wasn 't being effective at work, what was the point of working at all?

Now at home with my precious person and having time to play and be a mummy, I was feeling guilty about the work I had not achieved throughout the day. Now I decide to pull my hair out and bang my head against the wall!!!! Caught between 2 loves and feeling as if I were having an affair.

As soon as I became conscious of this psychological cycle I realised things had to change and these are the changes I made.

Being Truly Present

I made a mental commitment to be truly present and in the moment wherever I was throughout the day. To help me achieve this goal I knew that I would have to deal with the guilt. To do this I had to get to the source of the issue. The real source for me was not the time I was away from my son, more how I was not making use of the time we were together. I made a commitment to ensure we had undisturbed time every morning and every evening. During this time we will play, cuddle, read stories, draw pictures anything that involves 1 on 1 interaction. The morning time is extra special because this means that we both start our day by showing each other how much we mean to one another, I deliver a message that states you are the most important person in my life and you get all of my time and attention right now, no TV, no mobiles, no laptops just undisturbed quality time. This special morning connection means I go to work guilt free and am extra productive and truly present. Now when I got home I am guilt free and truly present for my family, the people that mean the most to me.

Simplifying My Life

The next powerful shift happened by taking time to simplify my life. By this I mean taking a check of how I was spending my free time, assessing where I place my energy and attention. As time is so precious when you are a working mum it pays to spend your free time wisely. I made a list of every commitment I had on a weekly basis. This included housework, hobbies, social and networking clubs, volunteer - work, overtime at work, anything that took me away from being with my family. I then had to be truthful with myself, was I over loaded, what could I delegate, get rid off, what did I want to keep and what could go for good. I had to think long and hard about what was serving me well and what was draining me of my energy and resources. Some changes I made specifically were, to hire a cleaner for three hours a week. The return on my investment was huge. I now have 3 full extra hours at the weekend to spend with the family and never have to worry about who is going to clean the house. The amount of domestic arguments this has helped to avoid is alone worth the investment.

Secondly, I took a long hard look at my list of commitments and decided to simplify my life by letting go of three things that took up my time and did not provide me with any benefits. For me this meant letting go of friendships that were hard work and not rewarding. I also made a commitment to never work past 6pm on any evening. This choice has been so liberating and its funny how I 'm still achieving the same amount and getting everything done. I am now so much more relaxed on an evening and there is not a lap top in site. The final change was to get up just half an hour earlier every morning making sure that I am fully awake and prepared for the special time I have with my bundle of joy every morning.

All in all a worthwhile process and no feelings of guilt burden me at home, work or at play because I am the one in control and I do have a choice, everyone does. You are the only one who decides how you spend your time. To achieve peace and harmony as a working mum, take time to be truly present, focus on the time you do have, not the time you feel you have lost and wherever possible simplify your life. Take some time to be true to yourself write a list of everything you do, think about what is draining you and come up with a plan to get rid of any energy draining commitment that serve you no positive purpose.

To find our more about how you can simplify your life and free up that precious time call me on 01202 252287 or email me at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it for a free consultation.

Special mentions to Coach U Inc.Com for their valuable, life changing Simplifying your Life Process