There’s no question that being a working mom is tough. Juggling work and home life can be a challenge, but it’s also one of the most rewarding things you’ll ever do. If you’re looking for ways to make your life a little bit easier, here are seven time-saving tips proven to help.

1) Meal Prep on Sunday for the Work week. Cook meals that can sit for a long time. Double a recipe (like lasagna) and freeze half for another meal. Prepare two days worth of side dishes, like pasta and rice, and store for the following nights. Designate your most hectic night as order-out night. Invest in a slow cooker to save you time. The key is to always have something on hand when those schedules change unexpectedly.

2) Plan your Mornings the Night Before. Mornings can be a juggling act. Get everything you’ll need for your morning routine in one shot the night before so that when it’s time to get up and go, there are no surprises waiting on standby! Pack lunches, lay out kids uniforms, ensure homework is done, pack backpacks. Prepare as much of breakfast as possible – lay out plates, boil eggs, coffee machine primed…you’re all set 🙂

3) Mommy Prep. Plan your outfit the night before – including purse and other accessories. Wash and Style/Blow-dry your hair the night before. Save the make-up for after school drop-off. Red lights are prefect for applying lipstick or mascara.

4) You have a right to your own lunch break! If you’re at work during lunch, use that time for anything YOU want. Use it wisely and don’t be shy about sneaking in an errand or taking time out for yourself. You could even devote one day each week just for self-care–like exercising (yoga), meditation & more.

5) Flexible schedules are the new normal. If you’re looking for a way to increase productivity, decrease stress and improve work-life balance – request flexible scheduling! Having open conversations about your needs as well those of employers or team members can lead the way towards solutions. Some ideas include telecommuting one day per week (or every two), working an earlier or later shift, or requesting a compressed workweek schedule. There’s a lot of flexibility available that you might not have considered before now.

6) Get rid of push notifications. If we don’t turn off our mobile alerts they will nag at us until there’s nothing left but an anxiety-inducing urge for distraction with no productivity benefits whatsoever! Turning off these pesky little messages from popping up on screens helps us stay focused on what matters most without being distracted by other things such as Twitter or Facebook updates.

7) Use the Eisenhower Matrix. Are you focusing too much time on urgent tasks? Is your to-do list never ending? Improve your productivity with this simple prioritization framework. The Eisenhower Matrix splits your tasks into four boxes – important, not important, urgent, and not urgent. This allows you to prioritize which tasks you should focus on first, which to schedule, which to delegate, and which to delete! (Include a link to a webpage explaining it?)

Lastly, It Takes A Village! You don’t have to do everything. Delegate when you can and find your balance. A successful life means finding that perfect harmony between work and home.