Practical Tips to THRIVE as a Single Working Mom

As a single working mom, you may often feel like you’re juggling multiple responsibilities and trying to keep up with an endless to-do list.

“Feel like” ha, let’s be real here… YOU ARE juggling multiple responsibilities. You are doing the work of TWO parents, caring for a child or multiple, while also caring for yourself and your career…

And being as ambitious as you are, you not only strive to do it all, but to do it well.

The reality is that, it is really freaking hard. But with the right mindset and strategies, you can thrive both in your career and as a parent.

With some tradeoffs, laser sharp focus, and having your end goals in mind, you can totally do your best with whatever you’ve got to make the most of your life!

From prioritizing your needs and time to setting yourself up for success financially and with solid support, these practical tips are how you can succeed as a single working mom.

1. Prioritize Your Needs (Self-Care)

One of the most important things you can do as a single working mom is to prioritize self-care. Taking care of yourself is essential for your well-being and your ability to be a successful parent and colleague.

It doesn’t seem like much, but by being intentional, you’ll be able to find ways to incorporate self-care daily. And no, shopping and getting your nails done really isn’t what this time of life is calling you to prioritize, sorry! (You’ll get there though!)

Your Basic Needs:

Here are your basic needs in case society and Instagram ads and misguided information has led you astray, in order of priority:

1. Quality, consistent sleep, routine bed and wake times (to the best of your ability with kiddos)!
2. Basic daily hygiene. Brush your teeth (and your kids + dogs!), Take a shower. Wash your hands and face regularly.
3. Eat a healthy diet consisting of vegetables, fruits, lean proteins and healthy fats.
4. Move your body through walks, house chores, and exercise if you can swing it.
5. Prime your mind through meditation, journaling, positive self-talk, inspiring growth podcasts, affirmations, words and surrounding yourself with positive and growth minded people.
6. Connect daily and be intentionally present with your child, family, pets, friends. Make social plans with or without child(ren) at least once a week.
7. Do one thing for your (future) self. Something that crosses off a task that gives you peace of mind or fills your soul. Give yourself at least 10 minutes, ideally an hour or two a day.

Examples of Ways I Meet My Own Needs:

For me, I have a dog, and particularly now that the weather is great, after my baby eats first thing in the morning we take a 10-20 minute walk with the dog outside.

I make it a priority to get to the gym a minimum of two times a week for a 30 minute circuit workout that includes weights and a bit of cardio. And yes, I do this right after I drop my child off early to daycare!

Part of my child’s bedtime routine includes mine; basic hygiene of brushing my teeth, washing my face before my baby’s last feed before his bedtime. Once he goes to sleep, I usually get an hour to myself once gets to sleep to read a chapter or two of a book.

I will admit that meal planning and cooking has been a HUGE struggle the first six months of my child’s life. Sometimes, you just have to do what you have to do.

Now that he is almost seven months old, I’m actually getting the hang of this and can now do a bit of cooking, but mostly meal prepping for the next day for me and also making his solids for daycare at the same time. I only have to do this every 2-3 days.

Regardless, cooking a healthy meal or even investing in a meal delivery service is going to be worth it. It will 100% make the biggest impact on your health and quality of life long-term and will give you the energy you need to stay on top of things in the short term.

In hindsight, what I should have done was have a meal plan service deliver ready-to-heat healthy meals. Ask for it for your baby shower. or create a ‘meals’ fund and share it with anyone who might be able to support you have a baby.

I cannot stress the importance of eating healthy foods during this chaotic time enough. This is literally why I started Reach Wellth. When you prioritize your health, you will set the foundation for success to get you through these insanely challenging times and be able to achieve success in the long-term.

Anything else that gets incorporated such as a cycling class or extra night out is icing on the cake, but it is essential that you bake your absolutes into your schedule.

Make it Happen

Whether it’s taking a few minutes to meditate, going for a walk, reading before bed, or enjoying a hot bath, make sure to carve out time for yourself each day.

When you show up for yourself, you bring your best to others, especially those that need you and are mirroring you.

Be your best and they will grow up to be theirs.

2. Build a Strong Support System

As a single working mom, building a strong support system is critical. This can include friends, family members, coworkers, or a professional support network.

To be honest when I became a mom, most of my friends were single and the few who had kids were a bit older and wrapped up in their own lives. I surprisingly lost a lot of friends when I became a mom too. On top of that, my parents were in their 60’s, divorced and that family unit didn’t really exist in my world.

Just like everything else in my life, if I didn’t have it, I found a way to create it.

I used apps like Peanut and reached out to friends on Facebook. People I didn’t really know, but knew through sororities back in college and talking to moms randomly while I was out was a fast way to build my mom network.

I connected with siblings of friends who had kids. I started going to mom-targeted events and put my single, career-driven events on the backburner.

When I put myself out there, I was pleasantly surprised by the understanding and willingness of complete strangers to reach out for support. My child’s father provided no emotional support, so it was everything to me at the time just to have the validation.

If you cannot find your tribe, form one. Get on Facebook and create a support group network and invite like-minded moms. Use the platform to organize monthly get-togethers to share stories, swap babysitting favors, and even offer each other a shoulder to lean on during challenging times.

Listen, if you’re feeling lonely anyways, better to do something with that time than to sit in your feelings. Get up and get out. Even going to the grocery and smiling at people was helpful.

Don’t be afraid to ask for help when you need it, and lean on your support system for emotional and practical support. Women who support women are amazing. They’re out there and they’re everywhere and they want to help.

Whatever you have to do, do it!

3. Make the Most of Your Time

Time management is key to being a successful single working mom because you have none!

Easier said, than done. Yup, I totally get you. But being a productivity hack and Tim Ferris fan, I geeked out on this one.

I found that my old (slow) strategies pre-child just weren’t doing it anymore. I had to think of new ways to get it done.

Instead of calendars I used post-it notes just to focus on the most important tasks of the day.

On my breaks, I spent 5 minutes cleaning, putting things away, transferring laundry, taking the next few steps on tasks to stay ahead of them.

Get Creative On How You Manage Your Time

I asked myself BIG questions every time I engaged in a task.

How can I do this faster? Can I pick one day of the week to do this or is a little bit every day more effective? Is there a different time I could do this that would be better? Which of these is MOST important to get done right now? Do I need to buy more pump parts so I only wash them once a day vs. 3 times a day (after every use), etc.

And my mom brain added a new layer of complexity. Sometimes I’d write on a post-it what I’d do in the next 10 minutes so I’d stop forgetting – fill up water bottle, take dog for a walk, make lunch, write email…

Use the 80/20 rule and find the 20% of tasks that accomplish 80% of the work. Prioritize your most important tasks and be ruthless with what you spend your time on.

And also be realistic about what you can accomplish in a day. I had to adjust my standards so that tackling just 3 high priority things that day would be a success.

I kept repeating to myself that I would get better at tackling these tasks, that things would get faster and if not faster, they would change into something else.

Be Intentional With Your Time

As a single working mom, you likely have limited time with your children, so make sure to prioritize quality time together.

Plan fun activities and create special moments that you both can cherish. Better yet, meet moms for a brunch or on a walk so you check off your self-care and need for connection at the same time.

Muli-task like a mother. It’s the only way to get it all (mostly) done!

4. Be Flexible

Life as a single working mom can throw curveballs, and that’s when flexibility becomes your superpower. Embrace the unexpected and be open to adjusting your plans. Remember, it’s not about being perfect—it’s about being adaptable.

So, I became a master of adaptability.

Instead of getting good at certain tasks, I got good at learning.

I accepted that there would probably be a new challenge almost daily and I’d role with it.

Then reminded myself that I knew enough that I could figure it out. If I got stuck, I’d either table and try again later, or reached out to someone who could help me figure it out quicker.

I was like a ninja navigating the unique challenges of parenthood. What’s the hurdle this time? How do I need to tackle this one? What do I need to do here?

This may mean being open to changing your schedule or adjusting your priorities as needed. Ask for help or delegate tasks when necessary.

Have faith in yourself it will get figured out, it will get done.

And if it doesn’t, it probably wasn’t important… and by the way there is something else coming at you so drop it like a hot potato and on to the next!

5. Set Boundaries

Setting boundaries is essential for maintaining your sanity and well-being.

Communicate your needs and limitations to your employer, coworkers, and family members, and make sure to prioritize yourself.

Say No Without Guilt

Say “no” to requests or anything that impedes on carving out time for yourself each day.

Motherhood is enlightening. It shines a VERY bright light on what is working and what is not. What is a priority and what it not.

I saw friendships that were not longer serving me. I saw time sucks that didn’t serve my goals or wellbeing.

It gave me a reset to examine my life and throw out all the junk. Then carefully chose what I added back in, and gave space and time to, literally and figuratively.

Declutter and Purge Anything That Does Not Serve You

I purged my entire house excessively my first year of being a mother. And I ended quite a few friendships that same year too.

Setting boundaries can be particularly challenging at work. Thankfully, I had full support of my team and while not nearly as productive as my former years, I had built a good enough rapport within my company that they cut me A LOT of slack.

Remember, this is only temporarily, you are rebuilding in all aspects of your life, including navigating your career with a little. And let it go at the end of the day. If you can’t manage work, it’s OKAY. I mean in the early days I could not put in my 8 hours and somehow did not get fired, eek!

You’ll find your way back over time through productivity and focus. Or you’ll find a new path better suited for your newly found life in motherhood.

Who wants to have a family and then work so much that they don’t even get the time to spend with their family anyways? Not a thriving, single mom, no way!

Remember your why. Remember you are giving your precious time and talents to serve a company or run your business and give to others.

If what you can give is not enough and not valued, take it elsewhere and serve yourself (and your child(ren)!

6. Build a Solid Financial Foundation

Financial stability is a goal for most, but crucial for single working moms.

These days creating and sticking to a budget is not enough, it’s just the bare minimum.

You want to THRIVE as single moms, not just work to exhaust yourself and your paychecks.

You need to know where you stand right now. No matter how bad or bleak. In order to move forward, you have to know right where you stand in this moment. This is your baseline.

Establish A Baseline

This is all about knowing your numbers: how much you make and how much you spend, what you save and what you have leftover.

This your foundation to build upon, including an emergency fund to protect yourself in case of unexpected expenses.

Part of your foundation is making sure that do not spend more than you make. And if you’re in debt, start paying that off immediately.

Save & Cut Back, but Only to a Point

From there you can look for ways to save money, such as cooking at home instead of eating out, or shopping for deals online.

Give up decorations, give up fancy cars, expensive trips and events, give up alcohol – all the bad stuff.

But don’t focus your time here if you want to make a big impact. And also lol, who the hell has time to cook?

Figure out the huge expenses in your life. Is it a car payment? Housing that is too expensive? Ruthlessly examine the more costlier parts of your life.

These are the cuts and sacrifices you’re going to have to make to make it to the other side.

Think of it as an ugly year or two. Be “uncool”; wear the same clothes, drive the ugly car, bunker down with family to avoid big rent checks, etc.”

The sooner you face this reality and do what it takes, the sooner you get to thrive.

Find people who are doing this already. Be around them. They wont care if you couldn’t afford Christmas decorations from Target this year (man they’re always so cute!). They prefer your success, your happiness, and the best life for you and your child.

For me, housing was super important. So, while I could move in with friends and family for a year to save towards my future, my independence and sanity were worth the cost of living on my own.

Whatever you decide to do, you have to move the pieces of the life puzzle to work in favor of your needs and what you can tolerate with what you have, while still building towards a better future.

Invest

Once you know your numbers, you MUST invest.

If offered through your employer, do it now, there is no excuse. On your own, use Vanguard or Fidelity and open an account now.

Invest in mutual funds until you have more time to dedicate and educate yourself on investing.

This isn’t an option, this is a necessity for you and your child’s future and imperative to thriving as a single mother. Find 5-10% of your salary and do it. And if you can do 20%, absolutely do it.

Make More Money

Want to set firmer boundaries? Want to spend more time with your children and less working? Want to lead a more healthy life? Want flexibility in your job, freedom of choice, impact in your community?

This is where your time and energy need to be focused when it comes to finances.

If you want to thrive, your focus needs to be on making more money.

It’s where you’ll gain options and freedom that no amount of saving will ever do and it gives you more money to direct towards investments.

This is FUNDAMENTAL to your future success thriving as a single, working mom!

You CAN Do This!

Thriving as a single working mom is possible with the right mindset and strategies.

By prioritizing what’s truly important, in time you will achieve success both in your career and as a parent.

I have my full faith in you mama! I want you to succeed. After all, you’re raising our future children and leaders and you’re the best woman for the job!

Your making a difference in your child’s life and in the world. We need more moms with your courage, ambition, resilience and tenacity paving the way.