Feeling Burnt Out? Use These Time Management Skills To Reduce the Mental Load Of Managing Life

You’re not imagining it. The mental load of motherhood is real, and it’s exhausting.

Who knows if that is the official name or not but it felt like the perfect description when I was researching this. Why the heck does my brain feel pulled in 50 directions doesn’t get you much of a Google answer.

It’s not just the physical tasks—laundry, meals, school pickups—it’s the constant mental checklist running in the background. My brain naturally runs like an algorithm calculating which task should come next for optimal time usage. But the to-do list is next level. 

The doctor’s appointments to schedule, the birthday party gifts to buy, the “What’s for dinner?” question you answer every single day.

And even when you finally sit down? Your brain is still racing.

Why Moms Feel Overwhelmed (Even When They’re “Getting It All Done”)

• You’re always “on”, juggling a thousand invisible responsibilities.
• Your to-do list never really ends—it just resets or carries over for tomorrow.
• You feel guilty for not doing enough, even though you’re doing everything.
• You’re running on autopilot, just trying to keep up.

Sound familiar? You’re not alone.

What You’ll Get From This Post

• Practical ways to lighten the load (without feeling guilty)
• What the mental load actually is (so you can finally put a name to it)
• How it’s affecting you (mentally, emotionally, and physically)

How to Lighten the Mental Load (Without Feeling Guilty)

Recognize & List Your Mental Load

Ever feel like your brain is constantly juggling a million things at once? That’s because it is.

Planning and list-making might feel like one more thing to add to your never-ending to-do list, but getting everything out of your head is the first step to lifting some of that mental weight off your shoulders.

How to Do a Mental Load Audit

Take five minutes (yes, just five) and write down everything you’re managing on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis. That includes:

• Household tasks – Cooking, cleaning, laundry, grocery shopping.
• Family management – Scheduling doctor appointments, remembering birthdays, planning activities.
• Emotional issues – Checking in on your kids’ emotions, resolving sibling fights, and making sure everyone feels seen and loved. 
• Work responsibilities – Managing deadlines, responding to emails, balancing work with family life.

Once it’s on paper (or in a notes app), you’ll probably see what needs to happen and not only how to best handle it but that you aren’t “doing nothing” all day. 

This isn’t about making another to-do list. It’s about validating what’s already on your plate and figuring out what can be offloaded.

Create a Mom Routine & Mom Schedule That Works for You

Before I share any tips I am going to say this loud and clear. MAKE IT WORK FOR YOU!!!! No one has the magic bullet for time management systems. You have to take the pieces that make sense for your life and leave the rest. Everyone’s life is different so it only makes sense that we manage our life differently.

A well-structured, flexible mom routine isn’t about controlling every second of your day—it’s about reducing decision fatigue and giving your brain a break.

We can do a lot. Most of the struggle and wear down is letting the mental machine run all day long.

When you know what’s coming next, your mind doesn’t have to scramble to keep up. That means fewer frantic mornings, fewer “What’s for dinner?” stress spirals, and more breathing room in your day.

I will get to how to get all of this out of your head in a few more scrolls. Just hang with me.

Routine vs. Rigid Schedule – Why Flexibility Is Key

An hour by-hour schedule isn’t going to work for moms or frankly, anyone who doesn’t go to a 9-5 job where they can shut the door and stay focused for their x number of hours and get it done. 

Things are always going to go wrong and you will get interrupted.

The plan is for adjusting when things DON’T go according to plan.

That’s why routines work better than rigid schedules.

• A rigid schedule says: Do laundry every Monday at 2 PM.
• A flexible routine says: Aim to do 1-2 loads of laundry started early morning and dried and put away before bedtime.

One gives you breathing room, the other sets you up for frustration.

Example of a Balanced Mom Schedule

A good mom routine balances work, kids, home tasks, and (yes!) time for yourself. Here’s an example:

Morning:

• 60+ ish minutes of work or focused personal time before everyone gets up.
• Quick cleanup while the kids eat breakfast.
• School drop-off or start of homeschool activities.

Afternoon:

• Prep dinner early to avoid evening chaos.
• Focused work or errands while kids nap or have quiet time.
• Short reset (5-10 min) to tidy up before dinner. (psst even my 18-month-old helps with this so your kids can help too)

Evening:

• Family time or winding down activities.
• Quick checklist for the next day (meals, clothes, priorities).
• 20-30 minutes of time for yourself—yes, this matters. Ask your spouse to keep an eye on the kids for just a few minutes.

By setting a flow for your day instead of a minute-by-minute schedule, you free yourself from the constant “what’s next?” mental stress while still keeping things on track.

Delegate Without Guilt

You are not supposed to do this all alone. Read that again.

Somewhere along the way, moms were made to believe that asking for help = failing. That if we don’t handle every meal, every mess, and every meltdown, we’re somehow less of a mom. But the truth? Delegating isn’t a weakness—it’s a strategy.

Did you know beef cattle will drop their calf off with the “baby sitter cow” for the day while they eat?

How to Ask for Help Without Feeling Like You’re Failing

Help doesn’t have to mean hiring a nanny or a housekeeper (although, if that’s an option—do it!). It can be as simple as:

• Scheduling regular “kid swap” days with a friend so you each get a break.
• Setting a standing date for your kids to go to Grandma’s for the day, giving you built-in downtime.
• Ordering groceries online instead of dragging the kids through the store.

You’re not offloading responsibilities—you’re freeing up mental space so you can be more present for what actually matters.

Teaching Kids Age-Appropriate Responsibilities

You don’t have to wait until your kids are teenagers to start sharing the load. Even toddlers can help in small ways, and by the time they’re older, it will feel natural for them to contribute.

Here’s what kids can help with:

• Toddlers (18m-4): Put toys in a basket, help load the dishwasher, and throw trash away. – Are they perfect at it? No, but they are learning.
• Preschoolers (5-7): Set the table, feed pets, wipe spills
• Older kids (8+): Do their own laundry, vacuum, pack their school lunch.

It’s not just about helping you—it’s about teaching them life skills. You’re raising capable, independent humans.

Use Time Management Skills to Stay Organized

Time isn’t the issue—how you manage it is.

When you’re constantly switching between tasks, your brain burns energy reloading information instead of just getting things done. That’s why time-blocking and batching can make such a huge difference.

How to Prioritize Tasks with Time-Blocking

Time-blocking isn’t about squeezing more into your day—it’s about limiting how long a task takes so it doesn’t expand into all your available time.

Example:

• Instead of “I need to clean the house today,” block 30 minutes for a quick reset and stick to it.
• Instead of responding to emails throughout the day, set a 20-minute email block in the afternoon.

The more you give specific time limits to tasks, the less time they steal from your day.

What if you get interrupted? 

That’s where its helpful to have a timer running while you do these things so you can hit pause on the time you have. Fix whatever emergency came up (or potty run that needed to happen) and get back to it.

Why Batching Saves You Mental Energy

I feel like there is this mystical elution that the more you batch together the less time something will take. Its not quite like that. If something still takes you 15 minutes to do that’s how long it’s going to take. 

What it cuts down on is the prep time, getting the tools out or set up. And the mental power it takes to get your brain moving in that direction. So keep that in mind as you do this.

Switching between unrelated tasks (laundry, emails, cooking, errands) forces your brain to constantly reset—which is why it feels so draining.

Batching helps by grouping similar tasks together so you’re not constantly shifting gears.

Examples of Batching:

• Household tasks: Do laundry only on certain days instead of every day.
• Work tasks: Handle all emails and calls in a set time block instead of randomly throughout the day.
• Errands: Run all your errands in one trip instead of spreading them out.

While batching won’t magically make tasks disappear, it reduces mental overload and makes your day flow more smoothly.

The Power of Saying No (and Protecting Your Energy)

You don’t have to bake cupcakes for every school event. You don’t have to say yes to every volunteer request.

Every “yes” you give to something unnecessary is a “no” to something important—like your sanity.

Before agreeing to anything, ask:

• Does this truly need to be me, or can someone else do it?
• Will this add to my stress or help me feel more fulfilled?
• Am I saying yes out of guilt or because I actually want to?

Saying no doesn’t make you a bad mom. It makes you a more present, less overwhelmed one.

I recently chose not to do a bible study at church! GASP! I already to my morning devotions and attend church three times a week. Now don’t get me wrong you can never spend enough time with God. 

But if I did that it would take one more morning out of my already short time to do the work that I know God has me doing. Here helping women calm the chaos and bring more peace to their lives. 

Sometimes the devil will try to get you off of what God wants you to do with the good stuff if he knows he won’t get you with the bad. Here me say I am not saying that bible study was bad all around. It just isn’t right for me.

DO NOT SKIP THIS STEP: Become an Organized Mom with Simple Systems

If you get nothing else out of this post take this with you!!!!! PLEASE!

Being organized isn’t about perfection—it’s about creating systems that make life easier.

When your brain isn’t constantly trying to remember what’s for dinner, who has soccer practice, or when the laundry pile will finally get folded, you instantly feel less stressed and more in control.

Here are some simple, no-fuss system ideas so you can spend less time juggling details and more time actually enjoying your life.

The Best Planners & Apps to Organize Family Life

A planner isn’t just a place to write down appointments—it’s a tool to clear your mental space and give you a sense of control over your day.

If you prefer paper planners, here are some great options (all available at Amazon, Target, or Walmart):

• The Happy Planner – Customizable, easy to use, and great for busy moms.
• Day Designer Planner – Has daily, weekly, and monthly layouts with built-in priority lists. (my personal favorite)
• Blue Sky Weekly/Monthly Planner – Simple, affordable, and perfect for tracking family schedules.

Prefer digital organization? Try these apps:

• Google Calendar – Syncs with family members so everyone’s schedule stays in one place.
• Cozi Family Organizer – A must-have for managing meal plans, to-do lists, and appointments in one app.
• Todoist – A simple task manager that helps you keep track of your daily and weekly priorities.

Side note: My brain is clearer when I handwrite things out. So I plan on paper and put everything into digital because let’s be honest. Most people don’t carry their planners around. But you need to know what’s going on in public. So a digital paper planner combo is a great way to do both.

How to Create a Simple Weekly System for Meals, Laundry & Schedules

Ever feel like you’re reinventing the wheel every week when it comes to meals, cleaning, and schedules? A weekly system takes the guesswork out of it.

Here’s what that looks like:

• Meal Planning (10 minutes each week) – Write down 4-5 dinner ideas (leave room for leftovers or takeout) and create a grocery list. – If you are like my family a lot of times we want to eat based on what we feel like eating. BUT if we have these ideas down 75
  % of the time we just use them without changing it. This helps with mental strain during the week. And if we switch it up. It’s totally fine. It just gets moved to the next week.
• Laundry Routine – Instead of tackling it all at once, do a load as soon as you see the basket get full or mostly full. This makes it feel like less of a huge job.
• Daily Schedule Themes – Assign a “focus” for each day (e.g., meal prep Monday, laundry Tuesday, errand day Wednesday) so you’re not doing everything every day.

The key here is consistency, not perfection. Some weeks will be messy, and that’s okay—having a basic structure in place will still make your life easier even when things don’t go as planned.

The Importance of a Weekly Reset Routine

Ever notice how stressful Monday mornings feel when you don’t prep ahead of time? That’s where a weekly reset routine comes in.

A weekly reset is a simple habit to set up your week so you start feeling prepared, not frazzled.

What to include in your reset routine:

• Look at your upcoming schedule. Any appointments, deadlines, or events to prep for?
• Plan meals for the week. Just a rough idea—don’t overcomplicate it.
• Do a quick home reset. Fold that laundry, clear the counters, and do a 10-minute tidy-up.
• Write down your top 3 priorities for the week. What has to get done?

This doesn’t have to take hours—30 minutes on a Sunday or Monday morning can make a huge difference.

Keep your systems simple and repeatable, you’ll feel more in control of your home and schedule without having to think about it constantly.

Knowing When to Let Go: How to Press Pause on Good Things for the Right Season

Motherhood comes with an endless list of things you could be doing—from starting a new hobby to adopting a pet, joining another activity, or taking on an exciting project.

But here’s the hard truth: just because something is good doesn’t mean it’s good for right now.

Some things are for this season, and some things should wait until later so they can be enjoyed to the fullest extent. Not just survived through. Learning to press pause without guilt is one of the best ways to protect your mental load and keep the overwhelm from taking over.

How to Decide What’s a “Not Right Now”

If you’re feeling pulled toward adding one more thing, pause and ask yourself these questions:

1. Will this bring more peace or more pressure to my daily life?
   • If it would add excitement but not stress, it may be a yes.
   • If would add more exhaustion than joy, it’s probably a no.
2. What are my current non-negotiables, and will this interfere with them?
   • If it takes away from sleep, relationships, or personal well-being, it might not be the right time.
3. Am I craving this because I truly want it, or because I feel like I “should” do it?
   • Sometimes we take on things out of pressure rather than true desire.
4. Is there a more convenient season for this in the near future?
   • If you know life will be calmer in six months, does it make sense to wait?

How to Press Pause Without Feeling Like You’re Giving Up

It’s easy to think, “If I don’t do this now, I’ll never do it.” But that’s just your brain playing tricks on you.

Here’s how to put things off in a way that reassures your mind that they’re not gone forever:

1. Create a “Do Later” List
   • Instead of saying no forever, write it down on a “Later, Not Never” list.
   • This tells your brain, “We will come back to this when the timing is better.”
2. Set a Specific Date to Re-Evaluate
   • Pick a future date to revisit the decision.
   • Example: “We’ll re-evaluate getting a dog in 6-12 months when the toddler is older.”
3. Focus on Why Waiting Is the Better Choice
   • Instead of feeling like you’re missing out, remind yourself what you’re gaining.
   • Example: “If we wait on the dog, we’ll have more energy, patience, and time to train it properly.”
4. Recognize That Timing Matters
   • The right thing at the wrong time can become the wrong thing.
   • Just because something is a “no” for now doesn’t mean it won’t be a perfect yes later.

Trusting That the Right Time Will Come

When your brain starts panicking that you’re letting something slip away, remind yourself:

• You are not saying no forever—you’re saying yes to the right timing.
• Your future self will be better equipped to handle this when life is calmer.
• If something is truly meant for you, it will still be there when you’re ready.

Whether it’s getting a new dog, starting a new project, or taking on more commitments, the key is giving yourself permission to wait—and trusting that you’ll know when the time is right.

Can you tell getting a dog is on my mind right now?!

How the Mental Load Affects Your Day (and Why It’s a Problem)

Most people assume exhaustion comes from physical work—chasing toddlers, folding endless piles of laundry, or running errands all day. But what about when you’re mentally wiped out before you even get out of bed?

That’s the mental load in action. It’s not just about what you’re doing—it’s about what you’re constantly thinking about, planning, and managing in the background. And over time, it takes a serious toll. 

That is why I am so bullish about telling people to get EVERYTHING out of their heads. Even if you don’t get as much done as you think you should but you are able to strategize and organize THEN take action you will feel so much better.

Your family will notice too.

The Connection Between Mental Overload & Exhaustion

Ever had one of those days where you didn’t physically do much, but you still feel completely drained?

That’s because mental labor is just as exhausting as physical labor—sometimes even more.

Your brain is constantly running:

• Tracking schedules (soccer practice, dentist appointments, grocery lists).
• Anticipating problems (did we run out of snacks? Do we have a backup outfit for picture day?).
• Managing emotions (soothing tantrums, handling sibling fights, keeping everyone happy).

By the time you actually have a second to rest, your mind is still buzzing with the next thing on your list.

It’s like leaving too many apps running on your phone—eventually, your battery dies, even if you haven’t done anything major.

The Impact on Work, Relationships & Self-Care

Working moms don’t just have two full-time jobs—they have two full-time mental loads to carry.

At work, they’re keeping track of deadlines, meetings, and emails.
At home, they’re still responsible for meal planning, school forms, and remembering who needs new shoes.

It’s a constant juggling act, and most of the time, something feels like it’s falling through the cracks.

Instead of getting a break after work, many moms feel like they’re stepping into their second shift—handling dinner, bedtime, and household management while still trying to squeeze in quality time with their kids.

And the result? Guilt. Exhaustion. The feeling of never being fully present anywhere.

Small Tweaks Make Massive Change

You don’t need a complete life overhaul to start feeling lighter. Even small shifts make a huge difference.

• Write down in your head so you can see everything you’re managing (and start letting go of what isn’t yours to carry).
• Create a simple routine that works for you, not against you.
• Delegate without guilt—your family can and should share the responsibility.
• Use time management skills to protect your energy instead of draining it.

The goal isn’t perfection. The goal is peace.