It is no secret that being a stay or work at home mom is hard work. You are balancing your household or work tasks with taking care of your children. Luckily, you can still be productive regardless of your tasks. If you are a stay or work at home mom, maximize your productivity with the following tips.
Get Up A Little Earlier
The first step to a productive day is getting up a little earlier. You want to get up before your children so you can take some time for yourself. The last thing you want is to feel exhausted or stressed because you got right to work. Instead, use this time to enjoy a cup of coffee, practice your yoga exercises and grab a shower before it is time to start your day. You would be surprised at how much a little time for yourself can go a long way.
Create A Workspace
If you are a work at home mom, it is important to create a designated workspace. It could be the nook under your stairs or corner of the living room, or maybe you have a spare room to turn into a separate home office. If you are a stay at home mom but do not have an outside job, you can make this your place for items for taking care of your family, such as diapers and wipes or books and puzzles. Either way, this space should help you to stay productive with your daily tasks.
Set A Schedule, But Stay Flexible
Whether you are taking care of household chores or work assignments, it never hurts to set a schedule for your tasks. In fact, working in time blocks may help you to get everything done without feeling overwhelmed. Use a dry-erase board or color-coded signs to signal your work hours, so your older children know not to interrupt you unless it is absolutely necessary. It is also important to stay flexible because you never know when your schedule is going to change.
Make A To-Do List
It is easier to remember your tasks and schedule if you write everything down, as opposed to trying to remember everything off the top of your head. Start by making a to-do list of your home and work tasks, and prioritize your tasks by importance. For example, your child's doctor's appointment and your virtual work meeting may be at the top of your list. Remember to stay flexible because anything can come up that causes you to rearrange your to-do list.
Plan For Your Family
Of course, you need to ensure your family is taken care of before you spend several hours working. This means planning meals, getting them started on an activity and assigning their weekly chores in advance. In addition, you also want to ensure you are spending quality time with your family. After all, your children are only going to be this young for so long, so you want to enjoy it.
If you keep the above tips in mind, you can maximize your productivity as a stay or work at home mom without feeling overwhelmed or stressed.