From my reply to a discussion in r/ZenHabits on Reddit.

You will not accidentally stumble into life balance. If you feel calm and focused when you’re with your child, it’s because your actions are in alignment with your priorities. When you’re doing the million other things, however, you’re likely distracted by all the things that are not done, PLUS whatever you’re doing is a distraction from your priority, which is your child.

I recommend making those other million tasks meditative. You won’t get them all done, but when you’re doing one of them, focus on that one task. If your mind slips, nudge yourself back to focus on the task at hand. Do not allow distractions like music, phones, or social media. Just like when you meditate, be mindful of your breathing and your posture.

Let’s try an example: washing the dishes. First, keep your attention to the task on hand. Pay attention to the temperature of the water, the smell of the soap, the act of scrubbing food off the dirty plates, and so on. Breathe: deeply in, deeply out. Stand with your feet planted and your spine aligned. Do not listen to podcasts, music, or even your child while doing the dishes. Do not let your consciousness drift to the other things you have to do. Stay in the moment. Stay present.

If this is challenging at first, do it for very short sessions (1 minute or less) at the outset. You won’t be able to be meditatively mindful for every task, but that’s okay. Every little bit helps you regain that balance.