Before I had Shiloh, I had no idea how other bloggers continued to run a full-time business and also take care of their babies at home. Even NOW that I have her, I have no idea how mommas do it who have more than one baby! Before having Shiloh I was pretty worried how I would manage to both be a full time mommy to my baby, and continue to work (from home) full time. I am SO lucky to be able to stay home with Shiloh all day everyday, and not “go back” to work in an office, away from the home. But, working from home definitely makes the whole work / life balance thing very challenging. I haven’t mastered this in any way shape or form (and I’m not totally sure anyone has!) but today I wanted to share just a few ways I’ve learned to balance both work and being Shiloh’s mommy.
Having a baby has certainly made working more challenging, but honestly it’s been the BEST thing for my work, for a few reasons. Now that I’ve had Shiloh I’ve learned to work much more efficiently. I’ve had to learn to focus on what is crucially important for that day, and get that done. Before having Shiloh, I would probably work from around 8am until 8pm…but a lot of that was answering emails here and there, then I’d jump to editing pics, then I’d think of a brand I wanted to reach out to, etc. Now that I have Shiloh, I know the time I have in each day to “work” is limited (because I want to spend time with her and need to take care of her), so one way I work LESS is by working more efficiently. I look at my calendar and deadlines and know exactly what I need to accomplish that day. I work very intentionally and efficiently (or i try to).
Another reason having Shiloh has been the best thing for my work (and life ha) is because she’s really put everything into perspective for me, and helped me to remember what really matters most in life. Before having a baby, I feel like I would honestly be in “work mode” all day everyday – weekends, 10pm, 5am, etc. Something that has helped me work torwards work / life balance is reminding myself that my family is so much more important than work will ever be. If ever I feel like I’m starting to get too focused on or stressed about work…I can honestly just look at Shiloh’s face and remember what’s the most important thing…and then shift where I am spending my time and energy. I know that might sound so simple or silly…but it’s these moments that remind me to leave my phone at home when we go for family walks, or take the pressure off of myself to constantly be on IG stories on the weekend. I know that spending quality time with Shiloh (and Michael) is of so much greater significance than answering another email or posting on stories and because of that, I am able to “turn off” now so much more than I could 7+ months ago.
Something else that has helped me work towards work / life balance is putting up boundaries and sticking with them. For example, when we travel, I obviously need to be on my phone almost the entire time – shooting content, sharing the resort with you guys, etc…because this is usually why I am at the resort in the first place. But, if I’m not careful I can get to the end of the trip and not feel any closer to Michael or Shiloh because I was so distracted by work. So I try to put up boundaries on these trips like “when we go to dinner tonight, I’m leaving my phone in the room” or “after we shoot what we need to shoot at the pool, I’m putting my phone down and not picking it up until ___ o’clock.” I’ve also put boundaries in place regarding my time with Shiloh. When I am feeding her at night, for her bedtime feeding, I do my best to not even bring my phone in the room and just focus on her, praying for her, and rocking her. In the mornings after her first feeding, I set that time aside to just play with her, just us two, before dad wakes up. Creating boundaries and sticking with them is KEY in creating work / life balance. Again, it’s not something I have mastered but something I work towards everyday!
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Speaking of work…I’m really excited to share this look with you guys today for all of my working girls out there! As y’all know, I personally work from home and rarely have to dress “business casual”, but when I do need a more put together look for conferences or meetings, I have been loving White House Black Market! This vest is such a versatile piece that you could for sure wear to the office, but also pair with black skinny jeans for a more dressed down look. I love how figure flattering it is, and the quality of it is AMAZING! You could layer it over a cami like I did here, but I think it would also be so cute over a little black dress!
Also, if you’re needing any Mother’s Day gift ideas, you can find SO many cute things at WHBM for your momma that she would love! One of the amazing things about this store is you can honestly find outfits to meet any and all needs – whether you are shopping for work clothes, vacation outfits, or summer wedding dresses! Linking some of my current favorites below:
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Outfit Details: Pleated Vest | V-Neck Tank | Shorts | Sandals
If any of y’all have other tips in creating work / life balance, I would love if you shared in the comments below! This is definitely not something you achieve overnight or by chance, and I’d love any and all the tips I can get in this area. Thanks for reading!
This post was created in collaboration with White House Black Market. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own!
xo Lauren
