Who better than a working mom juggling the challenges of raising kids, running a household and striving in her career, knows how to work under pressure? Not many. During times of uncertainty and challenge, we can all learn so much from working moms who don’t just survive, but actually thrive during tough times.
Being and watching other working moms successfully juggle life and work, starting with my own mother, has taught me infinitely more than I could learn from the best crisis management courses. There is something about facing days filled with raising little humans, nurturing relationships and building careers, while growing and developing into the best version of yourself, that makes you resilient in the face of the worst high-pressure situations, such as the coronavirus pandemic we’re currently facing. Here are some of the best tips I’ve gathered from being, watching and talking to working moms around me to work successfully under pressure:
- Have a “gotta do what you’ve got to do” mentality
Decide that no matter what, you’ve literally got to do what you’ve got to do. This is the mentality I’ve seen exceptional working moms adopt when at a professional or personal impasse. There is no giving up when you have a family to feed, people to help, organizations to support and life goals to reach.
Whether it’s looking for a new job, starting a side gig, waking up earlier, you’ve just got to do what you what you’ve got to do!
- Be resourceful
Different times call for different resources, and no one knows this better than a working mom. Resourcefulness is the name of the game when you have to deal with family change of plans at the last minute, run to pick up a sick kid, or shine during an online meeting while potty-training a toddler.
When crisis hits, don’t hesitate to ditch traditional ways of doing things for more resourceful options.
- Decide and focus on your priorities
Challenging times call for increased focus. When circumstances get tough, there’s limited time to handle every single task. Working moms who strive under pressure know what to prioritize and what to let go of. There is no room for perfectionism when you’re under pressure, so you must zoom in on your most important priorities.
What are your priorities? How can you manage to attend to these while keeping on going during difficult times? It may mean waking earlier to care for the kids first before tackling work, or put money aside for essential needs at the expense of other wants.
- Learn from experience
Experience, especially the tough kind, is what makes resilient and strong working moms. This experience is often made of its fair share of failures, setbacks, and learn-on-the-spot kind of moments. When the pressure mounts, it becomes crucial to dip into your reserves of experience to keep going, and actually to perform better than before.
What have you learnt from experience, especially during times of prior crisis and challenge? How can you apply to the current challenges you’re facing?
- Dare to ask for help
Under pressure, it can be tempting to want to do it all on your own. Yet one thing many working moms know is trying to handle it all does not work. While asking for help may initially feel intimidating and a blow to our egos, it actually is a sign of strength.
The most resilient people are also those who are not afraid to show their vulnerability, namely by reaching out to seek assistance. This is especially important during challenging times that may require more resources, time and energy that we may have at our disposal.
All in all, there’s a lot we can learn from working moms when it comes to working under pressure, from having a tough mentality to displaying resourcefulness and daring to ask for help.
What simple tips do you have to work under pressure?
The Corporate Sister.
