In this Post: Finding working mom balance for holistic practitioners can be tricky. An illusive state, here are a few tricks to help you try to get a little closer to this lofty goal.
Finding that delicate equilibrium where all aspects of our lives are treated with the same level of care is a tricky thing! As a working mom, it would be impossible to have all areas of our lives equally represented all of the time, BUT…we can certainly try to get to as balanced and healthy place as possible!
The subject of work/life balance is a really important one for me! As a natural workaholic, it has been a challenge for me to navigate this concept. I will say, it hasn’t always been graceful!
For years, my business was my primary focus. Building it, growing it, sustaining it, it was all-consuming. And then I became a mom, and then I became a single mom. Abruptly, I had to have a mindset shift.
I went from my business being the center of my universe to my son being the center of my universe. There are times in life when it is appropriate to grind, and there are other times when it is important to prioritize health and family. For me, this was one of those times when I needed a drastic reprioritization.
So, what did achieving a more balanced life look like for me?
Well, let me just start by saying that I am still a work in progress! Achieving balance isn’t something you simply check off your to-do list. It’s something that you work at, and then work at a little more, and then continually repeat until the day you die.
But there are some tricks I learned along the way that have helped me lean into this place and idea with a little more ease.
Achieving Working Mom Balance for Holistic Practitioners
Limit Client Hours
One key I’ve found has been limiting client hours.
I really struggled with this one. I hate to admit how long it took me to adjust my schedule to stop working nights and weekends. It was a scary prospect for me to think about losing clients. SO MANY of my clients had “regular” 9-5 jobs. But, what I realized when I FINALLY made the change was that a lot of those clients had flexibility within their schedule. While it was more ideal for them to come in at 5:30 or on the weekends, when push came to shove, daytime appointments worked.
Check out: How To Change Your Work Schedule After Having A Baby
Raise Your Rates
Along these same lines are raising your rates – This also is a scary one, but there is a simple concept at play here – the more you charge, the fewer hours you have to work. And that means more time for self-care, cooking nutritious meals, and volunteering in the classroom.
Too often, as massage therapists, we come from a place of compassion and empathy. It’s just our nature. We got into massage to fix the world. Which is all well and good, but we can’t fix anything when we are neglecting our own well-being or the well-being of our family.
Obviously, you don’t want to price yourself out of the market, but I am willing to bet you could bump up your rates a notch or two. When was the last time you gave yourself a raise? And how come other occupations are allowed to get periodic raises, but we are not? Just some food for thought.
Also, it is important to remember that if you lose a few clients in the transition of raising your rates, it is okay. Remember, the point was you wanted to work fewer hours to have a more balanced existence.
Check out:
When to Increase Massage Rates – 5 Signs It’s Time
How to Raise Your Massage Rates
The Time Between Appointments Is Gold
Utilize your time wisely! Instead of chatting with friends or surfing the web, get busy with business-related tasks. Clean your office space, return phone calls and emails, fill out SOAP notes, and wash linens. This way, when you go home, you can truly be present!
You Don’t Have To Do It All
I catch a lot of slack on this one, but I firmly believe that you don’t have to be involved in all the things, or go all out for all the holidays.
Halloween, for example, my son’s school was having a party in the classroom. Immediately after this party, most of the families were taking their children downtown. You see, my town makes a BIG deal out of Halloween. The whole town gathers to enjoy live music, fire dancers, food, and drinks. Well, I hadn’t been feeling great the few days leading up to Halloween, so I decided we would participate in one of these two events, but not both. My son is three. I promise he didn’t feel cheated.
Plus, I believe that the more you give and give, the more kids expect. And the last thing I want to do is raise an ungrateful, unsatisfied kid. If he is content with one gift for his birthday, why give him two?
Or Christmas, I have been on a huge decluttering mission the past couple of years. The last thing I want to do after working so hard to get stuff out of my house is to bring in a bunch of knick-knacks. And then have to remove them a month later. Call me Scrooge, but I’m comfortable with this decision, it just simplifies things for me! And right now, I need simple.
When I first had my son, I was always going to feed him organic, he was never going to watch television, and he was always going to have “Pinterest Perfect” birthday parties.
But you know what, these expectations were unrealistic. As a Working Mom, and especially as a single working mom, I cannot do it all. I simply can’t. But that doesn’t mean I can’t do a lot. And I do, but I also allow myself some grace when I purchase a Halloween costume, or my son eats, heaven forbid, mac and cheese.
It’s Better To Take Breaks Than To Burn Out
You don’t have to be afraid to slow down or have “trash time” with Netflix. A couple of months ago, I could feel the stress mounting and the beginning stages of burn out creeping in. This is precisely why I decided to take a month off from running my massage practice to pursue writing a book. I consulted with my office manager about picking up some of the slack, arranged to spend a month relaxing at the lake, and asked my parents to join me for part of the time to help out with my son.
And you know what, I don’t feel guilty about it. The old me would have, but no, not this one. I realize that in order to give my clients, son, and self the best version of myself that this is something I need to do.
We all find balance in different ways, some from exercise and meditation, some from relaxing with a good book, whatever the method that works for you, make sure to participate in it regularly! To be the best version of yourself, it is crucial to find a harmonious balance.
What tricks do you have for finding working mom balance for holistic practitioners?
