This is a sponsored guest post.
Let’s admit it, working from home isn’t all candies and roses. There are days your toddler is under the weather and that big pitch is screaming out for your attention. You can’t help but wonder, weren’t you more productive at your workplace? You’re not alone if the “work from home mom” tag just doesn’t seem to fit your bill. We hear you, momma!
Thankfully, there is a way to ace working from home, managing that toddler energy and retaining your fitness you worked so hard for. You read it right! All it takes is some planning ahead, tweaking your approach to micromanagement and bracing some new ideas. Read on to discover what lies between you and a winning work from home mom!
Rise Early
Nothing works like getting ahead of everyone else at home and knocking things off your to-do list. Rising just an hour early from your children can have your breakfast brewing while you’re ahead of your email stack for the day. If you’re not a morning person – remember it just takes 21 days to make a habit! Before you know it, you will love this new schedule that has you in charge of your day from the word go!
This new routine can reduce your stress levels through the day and give you an immense sense of control on your time. You’re likely to be more patient with your kids, more sorted with your work and acing that “work from home mom” tag to the T!
Plan Calls Around Errands
If you’ve got a couple of calls on your agenda that are more listening than talking, why not schedule them at a time when you’re out for your daily run? That way, you clock those steps in and tick-off your to-do list too. You could also slot it at the time you’re driving to do odd jobs for the house or even rolling your child’s pram in the park for her daily dose of sunlight. This leaves your home time for things that require your full focus, as opposed to a call where you are just a passive spectator. What’s more, it leaves your alone time for more important and thought-provoking jobs that require your full focus.
Consider A Change Of Profession
If you’ve always wondered if the corporate life just wasn’t for you, there couldn’t be a better time to nurture the idea. Consider an alternative profession if managing your kids schedules and running a demanding job are draining you more than you thought it would. That mundane 9 to 5 rut may have just got the better of you. Remember, there’s no shame in self-realization and taking a step back. And, it’s never too late to start over!
Try and choose a profession that is enjoyable, easy and lucrative. Truth be told, anything you enjoy doing automatically can be extended into your vocation. For example, if you enjoy baking, why not consider becoming a home baker? If you have a flair for writing, explore how content creation can work for you. If you love being around animals, why not invest in a chicken coop in your backyard and kickstart a poultry farming business? For one, it requires only a couple of hours of your time every day. Once you get the hang of it, you will me proud to say, “My chicken coop is a well-oiled machine that churns out eggs by the day”! It will give you a steady income too. An additional advantage is you always have a lending hand with the coop in the form of your excited and curious children. Explore the idea, we know you want to!
Put Your Kids On A Routine
Nothing helps a mother swamped with work more than predictability. If you know you’re kids are going to be in bed by 8pm every night, it helps a great deal in scheduling jobs that require your full attention.
Its never to late to get your kids on a proper routine. Not only will your children find comfort in knowing what comes next, it puts your body clock in motion too. You rise at a certain time every day knowing you are an hour ahead of your kids. You sleep at a certain time every day after having caught up with work once you put your children to bed at a fixed time. Naps get easier, your routine gets settled and your children display a lot less mood swings and tantrums. They’re well-rested, thriving little tykes who have got mealtimes and snooze sorted! And at the end of it all, you’re in control more than ever!
Rely On Your Better Half
Don’t hesitate to reach out for help, particularly from your spouse. He is someone who is just as well-versed with your children and the errands of your house as you are. Spilt chores and responsibilities so you both champion your bit and get it done well. He could help with clearing out the dishwasher, ordering groceries for the week or even folding the laundry. Remember, it takes two to tango! And who better than your better half to lend you a hand. While he may very well be doing some of it, it never hurts to call your need out and ask for him to be playing a bigger role. It’s bound to get both of you closer as a couple and help ease your workload too!
Use Your Weekend Well
Refuel and reward yourself every weekend, so you are charged for the week that lies ahead. You can’t pour from an empty cup, so it’s important to take time off for yourself every weekend and unwind. Make a weekend ritual and stick to it. It could be something as simple as brunching out, or having a wine and Netflix session with the girlfriends once your kids are tucked away for the night. Whatever it takes to have you charged up again to rage through the week, mamma!
Also use your weekend to prep healthy kids-approved family meals for the week ahead, so you know you’re ahead on the kitchen front every day. Sort the laundry, load up the groceries and eliminate the need for any last minute emergencies in the week.
Women are naturally great at multitasking and working from home is just another dimension to this skill we hone. All it takes is a little planning to make you a winning work from home mom!
