Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
LinkedIn
RedditWe are in our new normal, which means many of us are now work at home moms and will continue to choose to work from home even if it means finding a new job. Unfortunately, that means our home life and work life often intersect.
There are loads of great reasons to continue working from home. Productivity is higher, we are less stressed, we are spending less money on clothes, eating out, and gasoline. Working from home also has saved companies loads of money on workspace.
The benefits greatly outweigh any of the setbacks that come with being work at home moms. However, that doesn’t mean that the downside of working from home doesn’t exist. As someone who has been working from home since 2017 I do have a lot of ideas that can help you.
I will try to share some of the ways I’ve made working from home work while also having a kid in the home that I homeschool. Give them all a try and figure out which ones work best for you and your family.
Caring For Online Schooled Children
Being work at home moms with kids is a lot easier if your kid is attending an online school. While their school day is likely shortened this does give you the ability to work while they are also busy working.
My suggestion is to set them up with their schooling first thing in the morning. Check in on them during your morning break. Then at lunch you switch them to another activity like watching educational programming, playing, or reading time. At your afternoon break you switch to another activity.
After work you can check their school work and make time for them, just like when you worked a job outside of the home.
If you can afford it, you might want to hire a nanny or spend your lunch break driving them to an afternoon daycare for socialization time. The older your kids are the easier it is for them to take care of themselves while you work.
For us we don’t do any sort of daycare, at least not until our child can be vaccinated. So our social circle is small and we have play dates when our schedules allow for it.
Set Alarms
My most successful work from home moms continue to live on a schedule. Set alarms for the start of your work day, lunch, breaks, and the end of your work day. When your work day is done – or during any of your breaks – step away and shut it down.
Do not let your work take advantage of your time. You need to keep your work time and personal time as separate as possible when you are working from home.
Unless it’s an emergency, all personal calls can go through to voicemail to be returned while on break, lunch, or after your work day is done.
Separate User Accounts On Your Computer
If your work doesn’t provide you a work computer in your home it’s helpful to have a separate user account on your computer. This allows you to physically log out of work and gives you the visualization difference between work time and home time.
You can even make it that programs you use for work are only visible on your work user account. This gives you even further separation from work life and home life.
Something you should be aware of. Never ever give your company access to your own computer. If they are going to demand access to see what type of work you are doing on your computer they should be sending you a designated work computer.
Pack Your Lunch Mindfully
When we worked out of the home it wasn’t too hard to just go to a nearby fast food place and grab lunch. Working from home you should still be mindful of what you are eating. Fuel your brain the right way so you can keep up your productivity levels.
Add fruits, protein, and veggies to your lunches and make sure you are filled up. This will stop you from breaking your concentration due to hunger pains. Plus eating a vitamin rich meal will give your brain the nutrients it needs to perform at its peak.
Allow Yourself To Be Cozy
While a lot of people recommend that you get dressed, do your hair, and appear professional while you are working from home, this is a load of crap. The trick here is to set a pattern in your brain that triggers you into understanding it’s work time. Most work from home moms actually just wear what is cozy unless they are going to be on camera that day.
That pattern can be anything. It could be putting on your designated comfortable work pants, grabbing a cup of coffee, or turning on a certain playlist. It could be the combination of multiple things.
If you aren’t going to be on camera, you can allow yourself to be cozy with a good blanket, good tunes, and comfortable clothing.
Take Walks
When you are done with work take a walk around your neighborhood real quick. It’s not as long as your evening commute used to be but it’s a great way to stretch your body and get some fresh air after sitting at your desk all day.
Exercise can help you get a good dose of endorphins after work so you can leave the work stress behind and be happy during your family time. It can also be that mental trigger work at home moms need to know it’s time to end their work day.
Chores Can Wait
As work at home moms it can sometimes feel like you need to handle it all. Chores often get done on lunch breaks instead of actually spending some time relaxing to finish out your day strong.
Don’t do chores during the workday, even when you are on break or taking your lunch. It can wait till the end of the day. Keeping your work day focused on work with rejuvenating breaks in between keeps you fresh for work.
Set Boundaries
Set boundaries with your employer, your friends, your family, and your children when it comes to your work and home life. Work at home moms know that firm boundaries help to keep you in work mode when you need to be and in family mode when it’s time to be that.
Outside of emergencies that may take place you should not be attending to family errands, chores, or even time while you are working. Likewise your work should never be bothering you when it’s your family and downtime.
Work At Home Moms
Not all work at home moms do the same things and work life balance is almost never perfect. Most of the time the balance is tipped in one direction or the other. There are bound to be days when work overwhelms you or when your family life is overwhelming. It really does take patience to learn how to find your own perfect balance.
Make sure you are also taking some time for yourself. Work at home moms often forget to participate in self care regularly enough. This post explains the importance of self care for work at home moms.
Which tip are you most excited to try? Let me know in the comments below. Follow us on Pinterest for more like this and pin this to your favorite self care boards.
FacebookTwitterPinterestLinkedInReddit