The Best Productivity Hacks for work at home moms.
Working from home with little kids, while a privilege and blessing, is not easy. Not even a little bit. Let’s be honest, it can drive a perfectly sane person cray-cray at times. I know first hand, because I have three children of my own. I have worked from home from the time they were tiny babies, through the toddler years and right up through middle school age kids. You don’t have to tell me about the frustration and guilt that comes with trying to juggle it all. BUT, don’t worry my friends. I’m here to tell you, there is hope!! I am going to give you my best productivity hacks for work at home moms. Read on and you will be checking off your to-do list in no time!
So much to do, so little time.
If you are like me, you had this vision of working from home and how lovely it would be. You, sitting nicely at your laptop, hot coffee in hand while your children happily frolicked at your feet…and then…(cue screeching sound).
BOOM! Now your in the thick of it. Reality has set in! What the hell happened? This isn’t what I signed up for!! You find yourself wearing a shirt that you or may not have worn yesterday and there is a chance your not wearing pants. Your hair is piled on top of your head like a giant ball of shredded wheat, one toddler is begging for a snack, the baby is crying, your boobs are leaking and your coffee (that you’ve reheated 5x and is now cold…. again). You feel like you have been busy all day, but nothing on your list is done. Sound familiar? I feel ya, girl.
Why is it so hard to get things done working from from home?
Distractions, distractions, distractions and guilt. Let’s face it, kids require a lot of attention and energy. It’s a ton of work caring for them. Having to care for then WHILE working is much harder! It can be overwhelming. Then, add to it the mom guilt. The guilt of having to work while your kids are wanting attention. The guilt of too much iPad time. The guilt of saying no when your asked to volunteer for another freaking thing. Yep, I have been there my friend!! I have been at my wit’s end many times. Luckily, I have learned a few tricks over the years. Below I share with you my best productivity hacks for moms who work from home.
Best hacks to being productive as a work at home mom
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Tip 1: Get up early
Ok so this takes a little will power, I mean what good habit doesn’t? Honestly though, this has been a total game changer for me. I aim to get up at 5 am every morning Monday-Saturday. My kids get up around 6:30-7:30 so this usually gives me about and hour and a half to get a jump start on my day. I usually start with coffee, then I write down ideas, look over my list, journal and/or plan out my day (if I haven’t done it the day before). Which brings me to step 2.
Tip 2: Have a plan
Again, SUPER important!! DON’T skip this one. Sit down (the night before if possible) and write out what has to get done the next day. Get those done FIRST. They are usually the things you keep putting off, but if you tackle those harder tasks first, you no longer have them hanging over your head and you can work with a clearer mind the rest of the day.
Tip 3: Take advantage of nap time
This is the time to work on thing that require focus. You can get so much done during nap time. If they sleep for 2 hours, it’s basically like getting 4. Am I right? I know when my kids are napping or at school I can like a bazillion times more stuff done than when there are at home and awake.
Tip 4: Wake up to a clean house
Seriously, this is another one that is big for me. I’m tired at night and honestly after dinner, I just want to hang out with my kids before I put them to bed. There are times the dishes get left in the sink overnight. I get it. We aren’t perfect. But in all honesty, this is the worst!! The next day I walk into the kitchen and the first thing I see is a sink full of dishes. It immediately starts my day off feeling bogged down. When you wake up to a clean house, it starts the day off feeling prepared and ready.
Tip 5: Block scheduling
Ok peeps, if you haven’t tried block scheduling, you need to!! Look it up on Pinterest, because its really, pretty great! Basically, it’s blocking out portions of your day in blocks of time.
You know how you never seem get to certain things on your list? Block scheduling prevents that. Think of when you were in school and you had periods throughout the day. Each block of time was dedicated to a specific subject. It’s kinda like that, but for adulting.
I suggest getting a planner that has a vertical weekly view. The vertical columns make block scheduling a breeze! This one on Amazon is so cute and stylish!! I adore the marble with the gold! And you can’t beat the price!!
Tip 6: Hire a mother’s helper
No, Im not talking about popping pills (Rolling Stone’s fans will get it). A Mother’s helper is usually a teen or maybe college age person who comes over and helps you with your kids, while you are at home. It can be a true life saver, IF you find a good one. A mother’s helper can bring the children outside to play, help with homework, help them with meals during the day even help with dinner prep. I know this one might not be possible during this time of Coronavirus craziness, but hopefully when things go back to normal we can all get ourselves a helper!
Tip 7: Activity bins for kids
Ok, so maybe your just starting out with a new business or it’s just not in the budget right now. Try this. Put together a few activity bins and keep them stashed away in a closet or somewhere out of sight. When your little people are getting bored, pull out the activity bins. Make it something they only play with at certain “special times”. That keeps it exciting for them. Plus, you can plan it around a time when you need those extra minutes. Some examples: play dough bin, puzzle bin, paint bin, stringing activity bin (awesome for motor skills), kinetic sand bin (hide little toys inside). You get the gist.
Tip 8: Have a designated work space
If your like me, you don’t have an extra room in the house to make into an office. (Someday, right?). You still need a designated work space. It can be the corner of a room. I have set up a desk in my dining room before. Currently I use a corner of my bedroom. Just as long as you have a spot just for work then your good. This will allow you to stay organized and find things when you need them. You don’t want to waste precious time searching for what you need. Having everything in one spot allows you to be way more productive.
Tip 9: Say no to Social Media
Don’t worry, I’m not saying you have to delete all social media accounts and go off the grid. I know social media is a huge part of many businesses and we need to keep up with them regularly. What I’m suggesting is, that during certain times of the day you must resist signing on! I don’t have to tell you. It goes like this, “Oh, look a notification!!!”. You check Facebook and see that Aunt Mary liked a photo of Johnny. Next thing you know, 30 minutes later you find yourself watching a video of a puppy and an elephant becoming best friends. You know exactly what I’m talking about. So, do yourself a solid and turn of social media while your working.
Tip 10: Small steps each day
This one has really been so helpful to me. Do you every think about a goal that you really want to accomplish, but it seems impossible to be able to have the time to do it? My advice is to remember to take “little baby steps.” Ask yourself,” What can I do today to bring me one tiny step closer to my goal? ” It might be just making a making a phone call or filling out one form. Maybe it’s researching something that related to reaching that goal. Breaking things down into bite size chunks makes it seem much less overwhelming, which means your more likely to do them.
For example, let’s say you want to start a blog. You think of all the things that need to get done to begin a blog. Then, you just forget about it until the next day and get overwhelmed again and on and on. Now imagine, each day you spent 10-15 minutes doing one small thing to work toward that goal. For example, research hosting companies the first day, spend a little time the next day or two learning wordpress, the next day purchase a domain name, and then spend one day looking for a design. Can you see how after six months or a year, how much closer to your goal you would be? Remember, tiny baby steps.
Tip 11: Learn to say “NO!”
This one is hard. I know, I really do, but STOP feeling guilty. I know people think because you work from home you have time to socialize, chat all day on the phone, volunteer during the day, but you have a job to do!
You have to learn to say NO. You do not owe anyone an explanation. That’s it!! Practice doing this and your world will change. It’s a huge weight off your shoulders, trust me!!
Tip 12: Take care of YOU
Again, this one is vital! Make sure you take some time for self care every day. You cannot, I repeat cannot, give to others, if you don’t take care of yourself first. It’s not sustainable. Eventually, you’re gonna burn out. Usually, all it takes is a few minutes each day. Light a candle go for a walk, do something you enjoy for just a few moments each day. If you run yourself ragged, you are no good to anyone. Love yourself! There is no shame in a little self care.
Don’t be to hard on yourself
It takes a little planning and organizing but if you implement these steps into your routine, I promise, you will be way more productive. Remember, don’t put too much pressure on yourself. You are doing a great job and you’re only human. You won’t be perfect 100% of the time. Give yourself a break. Don’t be afraid to switch it up if something isn’t working for you and your family. Hang in there and don’t give up! Please, if you have any tips for being more productive, while working from home (with kids), I would love to hear them.
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