For working moms, navigating through everyday life is nothing less than an uphill battle. From juggling work, chores at home, responsibilities, and literally no time for friendships or self-care, the struggle is real. Come day end, many working mothers are exhausted to the core, looking after everyone but themselves.

Deposit Photos | Working moms always have the “exhausted” status on

A 24/7 Functioning Robot

Isn’t that what motherhood feels like? Jessica N. Turner, author of Stretched Too Thin: How Working Moms Can Lose the Guilt, Work Smarter, and Thrive, relays a personal story that resonated with almost every working mother.

She talked about a particular day before Halloween when she felt stuck, and like she couldn't do anything as a family. Her eldest son was meant to have a soccer party on a particular weekend. That same weekend, she wanted to go to a pumpkin patch, which would open only on Saturdays from 10 AM to 5 PM and on Sundays from 1 PM to 5 PM.

The problem was, all of the morning would be consumed with her son’s soccer party and the afternoon would be consumed in her little daughter’s nap. She also had a book deadline in the upcoming 10 days – when would they get to do the things families do together?

The Mom Creative | Jessica posing with her latest masterpiece

A Pressure Unlike Any Other

This is a pressure every working woman has to face. With being in a constant go, go, go mode, it can become difficult to give your family time. And when you try, nothing seems to be working out because everyone has something important to get done.

As working mothers, women always have to choose how and in what to invest their time. There’s always an underlying sense of guilt and abandonment when they can’t show up to their kids’ games or recitals. They’re always fighting to make up for the lost time, and in their pursuit of that, end up burning themselves out.

Deposit Photos | Make the most of moments when the whole family is together

Advice That Might Truly Help

Here’s what Jessica says works for her: practicing intentionality. The second thing that worked for her was listening to what her family wanted. You don’t have to run around trying to make the impossible happen. Also, you need to take care of yourself.

You might be responsible for your little ones, but a couple of dirty dishes or a full laundry basket never did hurt anyone. Make sure you have guidance systems in place that help regulate your work. There might be a lot on your plate but, nothing is worth more than your mental and physical health.