It can be so difficult finding time to do anything as a working mom, trying to achieve a balance during every day while being pulled from all directions. These days, it seems that unless you’ve got a special gift for effective time management, it’s just not possible to find enough time to take care of all the needs of your children, your job, your housework and the myriad of other tasks that are always so necessary.

If we put off something until tomorrow, we feel guilty about it and this only serves to increase those daily pressures. Budgeting can be quite a challenge and if you only have a limited source of income you will always feel pressured to spend it on the kids and other household items, relegating yourself to last place in the pecking order.

As a working mother, you have to keep in mind one crucial point – you represent the “engine” that keeps the whole family going, and without you being at your best, other aspects of the family machine simply won’t work as well. Therefore, relegate any feelings of guilt to the back of your mind and understand that any time you invest in yourself is an investment in everything around you, your kids and your overall life. It’s essential that you feel good about yourself or, with the passage of time, you’ll feel increasingly burdened, and put yourself in a situation where depression could take hold and create a never-ending downward spiral.

One of the more important goals for you should be to create a strong support network around you. It’s a good idea to remember to lean on your close friends for support – you know who they are, they’re the true friends you can always turn to in situations like these at any time. Just remember that support is a two-way street. You may already have close family members who help you out, but don’t be afraid to seek the help of a professional coaching expert, specifically coaching for women in your situation as well.

Hopefully you can find a good friend who is willing to become a babysitter for you, so that you can take that special “me” time. There is always a way around and a way to find time to make you feel “yummy” rather than slummy! Remember that whatever chaos seems to exist around you on a daily basis, you have to take control over the elements that you can control.

Feeling and looking fantastic on a tight budget really isn’t all that difficult. Your biggest challenge will be to allocate the time necessary to pamper yourself in the first place. Once you actually accept this as a fundamental priority in your life, you need to make this happen regularly.

The best thing you can do for yourself on a daily basis is to commit to an exercise routine, and we don’t mean carrying around big bags of groceries or tidying up your home! A dedicated period of cardiovascular exercise is ideal, or you could even get started by working with a small set of free weights while walking through the streets of your own neighbourhood.

See how this will make you feel better mentally and physically and how it will make you look better – your skin tone will shine. You can pick up supplies to do a really great home manicure and pedicure, schedule a visit to a beautician or hairstylist and just focus on your personal time in the bathroom more often.

Always remember that feeling great is simply a state of mind. This process usually begins with a renewed focus on setting aside time for you, and then giving this time an equal priority.

For additional suggestions and great tips on how to feel fantastic as a tight-budget mother, check out the array of online life coaching resources which are readily available to you!

Amanda Alexander is the CEO of Coaching Mums. She is a widely renowned ICF accredited coach, who for more than six years, has been providing her services to thousands of working mums from across the Globe in an effort to bring balance back into their lives, help them lose their guilt, show them how to find the time to reinvent their passions, and most of all, to have fun every day! For truly inspiring articles and cutting-edge professional coaching tips, sign up to receive our absolutely brilliant free newsletter “Inspire,” right now!