Author: Rachel Guglietti. Founder of Mama Evolving
Just like any other time you are heading into the unknown, returning from maternity leave can bring about a whole range of emotions and stressors. Chores pile up, and the mental load weighs you down.
Here’s a helpful exercise to reclaim your sanity:
1. Brain Dump: Grab a friend (or a latte!) and list out EVERYTHING you do daily and weekly. Don’t forget those invisible tasks and to keep adding new things as they pop up. Include who does what and when it happens.
2. Prioritize: Sort your list into “Urgent/Regular & Important” (like picking up your baby from daycare every day), “Urgent & Unimportant” (delegate or automate), “Can Wait & Important” (maybe scheduling that dentist appointment can wait!), and “Can Wait & Unimportant” (ditch it!).
3. Delegate: Do you have awesome helpers? Kids, partners, anyone who offered a hand? It really does take a village!
4. Plan Ahead: Think about new tasks coming your way once you head back to work. Create a plan to tackle those too. Try to also think about contingency plans – e.g. what do you do when your baby brings home those daycare diseases and gets the whole house sick?
Create a system that works for YOU and YOUR family. Make a shared calendar, schedule to dos and appointments ahead of time to get them out of your head, divvy up the tasks in a way that feels doable – whatever it is that helps reduce your mental load. Last but not least: remember to focus on progress over perfection and celebrate your wins along the way 
Learn more about what Mama Evolving can offer here.