Have you found that since becoming a mum your motivation for work has dropped? Sometimes it’s really hard to stay enthusiastic about your job when your main focus is the little people in your life and you’d much rather be spending time with them than at work.

Most working mums have been there. It can be heart-wrenching to leave the kids all day and spend your hard-earned cash on childcare, just so that you can go and make money to line someone else’s pocket.

Unfortunately, unless you’re planning on quitting and working from home, it’s something that has to be done. So if you’ve lost your love for your job, here are 7 ways to get back your motivation for work…

Think about What you actually want to do

If you simply just don’t enjoy your job or the company you work for, then maybe it’s time to look for a new one? If you’re going to have to spend time at work and away from the kids, what would you like to be doing all day?

Think about your skills, what you enjoy doing, and see if there are some better-suited jobs out there for you.

It doesn’t hurt to write up your CV and either send it out to a few agencies or upload to an online recruitment site to see what options are available.

You can often end up spending more time with your colleagues than with your family so it’s important not to end up hating every second of it!

Fix your work-life balance

Easier said than done I know, but would you feel more motivated if you had a better work-life balance?

Could you survive on fewer hours so that you could spend more time with the kids? Or would working a couple of longer days to allow you to take time off later in the week? Maybe you could even start later to give yourself more time and less stress every morning?

Flexible working is becoming more accepted in many workplaces so it’s worth a chat with your boss if you think this is something that will make a difference to your life.

Learn something new

If you’re stuck in a bit of a rut, is there a course you could take or some different duties you can take on?

Sometimes, having something different to do gives you a new lease of life and gets rid of the boredom. There are plenty of online courses you can take in your spare time if there isn’t any training available at work.

Make work friends

Often you end up liking the people you work with more than your job. Some good work friends can definitely make the day go quicker and make the office feel like a happier place to be.

Talk to your co-workers and don’t turn down all of their invites for after-work drinks. Just because you’re a mum doesn’t mean you have to head straight home after work. Make your partner pick the kids up so that you can socialise once in a while.

Get sh*t done

Once you’ve managed to cross loads off your to-do list you may start to feel better about your job. Without the stress of outstanding projects or missed deadlines, you can focus more on what you enjoyed about the job to begin with and possibly take on other tasks that interest you more.

Check out this post if you want some tips on how to be more organised and get things done.

Speak to your boss

This one all depends on how reasonable and easy to talk to your boss is! If you’re a good worker they won’t want to lose you, so ask for a chat and let them know how you feel.

Maybe there’s another position you can apply for within the company, or there could be some changes they’re willing to make to your role.

Remember why you’re doing it

Not many of us go to work because we love it. The majority of working mums work to provide for their families.

If you’re feeling really down about your job, remember why you’re there in the first place. Think about all the things your family get to do because you work – holidays, days out, paying the mortgage.

Plus a strong working mum is a great role model for kids, so feel proud that you’re showing them how amazing their mum is!

 

I hope these ways to get back your motivation for work have helped and you feel better about heading to your workplace this week?