You’ve seen the image, right? A mom with a laptop in one hand, a baby on her hip, and a dozen arms coming out of her. Each arm doing a different task — one is paying the bills, the other is writing a note, another is washing the dishes. We’re told it’s empowering. A glorious display of multitasking.
But here’s the truth: this juggling act looks impressive from the outside, but it burns you slowly from the inside.
When you try to hold everything up at once, you don’t actually give your whole heart to anything.
And its worse because your kids see this.They see you rushing, distracted, constantly stretched thin. And the message we unknowingly pass on is that this kind of struggle — this chaos — is “normal.”And the toughest part? For the first time in my life, I questioned whether I deserved a seat at the table anymore. But it’s not. And it shouldn’t be.
How Balance Broke Me
This was me a few years back.After my first child, I believed I could do it all — work, home, parenting, even squeezing in passion projects on the side. I thought “balance” meant keeping everything running at the same time. But instead of thriving, I sank. I developed habits that hurt my health — skipping meals, working late into the night, ignoring my body’s signals and the extreme weight loss.
I was constantly guilty — never fully present at home and never fully effective at work. And worst of all, I felt like I was losing myself in the process. That was my first painful lesson: balance, at least the way we imagine it, is a myth.
Finding Harmony the Second Time Around
When my second child was born few years later, I was determined to do things differently. I shunned this unrealistic idea of “balance,” and started focusing on creating flexible routines. I stopped make goal lists, and started focusing on the most important tasks of the day. Instead of juggling around roles, I developed systems — both for work and home. Because I had realized that consistency beats intensity. By doing small things everyday, I was not only avoiding the burnout, I was also performing better.
My Harmony Habits
With time, I was able to develop a system that defined small tasks I need to do everyday to achieve my goals — both for my career and my personal space.Here are some things that I do:
1. Daily Connection: I talk to my mom every day. A five-minute call where I can talk unfiltered about what I am doing or where I want to go.
2. Monthly Solo Time: Every month, I choose to do one-activity that I will do alone. Sometimes I go shopping or maybe a walk in the park or maybe just a coffee and silent reading at a cafe. This solo activity, even done for an hour, gives me the reset I need.
3. Hobbies Without Pressure: Social media is always bubbling with ideas on how to make your hobbies profitable but for me , I do it to bring joy. I sketch, crochet, or read — not as an achievement, but because it brings me joy.
4. Creative + Analytical Balance: Whenever I spend time on intensive, detail-oriented work (like business planning or data), I make sure to create space for something creative afterward. Like shooting or editing a reel. Or design a creative. I’ve seen. This keeps me balanced emotionally and mentally.
My rituals are not specifically about building a balance. They are about building harmony between the different roles I play. I want to create a life where work , home and personal joy can flow together without constantly draining each other.
Consistency for the Win
I’m sure you are wondering weather you can bring this harmony in your own life. You can. But only when you have learned that harmony, is about nurturing, about making space and also about authenticity. It’s not about being ‘successful’ or ‘perfect’ but creating systems that sustain you. You don't need to glorify your lifestyle. You just need to live an intentional life.
Having a ‘balanced’ life is a myth. Once you stop chasing the idealistic, you will begin to create a life worth living.
Share this with someone!