Working a full-time job can be stressful. Having kids can be stressful. When you combine the two, it can be enough to make you lose your sanity. If you are a working mom, you might sometimes feel as if you are totally stressed and overwhelmed. This is normal, but there are things that you can do to make things a little bit easier on yourself. Try these tips, and you might see that it will make a big difference in your mental health and overall happiness.

Don’t Be Afraid to Ask for Help When You Need It

First of all, a lot of people feel as if they have to try to handle everything themselves. It can be easy to have too much pride to want to ask for help, but there is nothing wrong with having others help you every now and then. If you have a family member who doesn’t mind picking your kids up every now and then to give you a break, take them up on their offer. If you need help with keeping your house clean, don’t be ashamed to hire someone for the job. With a little help, you might find that your household will run a lot more smoothly and that things will be a whole lot easier on you.

Keep Your Home Neat and Organized

It can be tough to keep your home neat and organized when you feel as if you’re always on the go. However, keeping things organized can really help you make your days a whole lot easier. After all, the last thing that you probably have time for is finding your child’s shoes when you’re already running late in the morning.

Use a Planner or Calendar

Using a planner or calendar –whether you choose an old-fashioned option or if you use an application on your smartphone — can help you stay organized. You can track everything from your work schedule to your children’s extracurricular activity schedules to when your bills need to be paid. This can help you avoid forgetting the important things and can help you compile a daily to-do list so that you can focus on taking care of everything.

Go to Bed Early

It can be tempting to want to stay up late to watch TV or browse the internet, particularly if you don’t get much time to yourself during the day. However, getting in the habit of going to bed earlier can be a good thing, and it can help you ensure that you are getting enough sleep every night. After all, ensuring that you are properly rested is important for your health and can help you get more things done during the day.

Try Waking Up First in the Morning

If possible, try to wake up a little while before your kids do in the morning. This can give you a chance to write out a daily to-do list while enjoying your morning coffee, and it can also give you time to shower and get ready for the day without having to corral your kids just yet. Plus, you might find that having a little bit of time to yourself in the morning is actually a relaxing start to an otherwise long and stressful day.

Make Meal Prep Easier

Preparing healthy meals for your kids is important, but it can be challenging to do. Doing what you can to make meal prep easier, such as cooking things ahead and stashing them in the freezer or learning a few slow cooker recipes, can save you a lot of time and help you ensure that you get a tasty yet healthy meal on the table for yourself and your kids every night. This can help you avoid the cost and unhealthy side effects of hitting up a drive-through or ordering pizza every night.

Pencil in Some “Me” Time for Yourself

If you are like many working parents, you might feel as if all of your time is dedicated to working and taking care of your kids. Make sure that you pencil in some “me” time for yourself here and there, even if it’s just a few minutes to enjoy a nice, relaxing hot bath.

Consider Therapy

It might sound like a joke, but it’s not a bad idea to seek therapy if you are a busy, hardworking mom who feels like you have a lot on your plate. Going to therapy does not mean that there is anything wrong with you; it is just a tool that you can use to get help in coping with your day-to-day life. Focusing on your mental health is important for your own sake and for the sake of your children, so it’s definitely something to consider.

As you can see, there are a few foolproof tips that you can follow if you want to keep yourself sane as a working mom. It’s true that things might still get more than a little stressful every now and then, but if you follow these tips, you can help make things at least a little easier for yourself.