Time Management for Work at Home Moms
Moms have to juggle several tasks and
responsibilities every single day. If you work from home on top of caring for
your family and home, you know that time management is essential. If you aren’t
spending your time wisely most of the day, you probably aren’t getting much
done. Read on to discover some very helpful ways work at home moms can
successfully manage their time!
Create a schedule
Having a loose schedule of how your day should
go can help keep you on track to make the most of your time. Start by outlining
things you know need to happen, including meals, errands, nap time, after
school pick up, wake time, and bedtime. Fill in times to work around these
tasks. Sticking to a schedule lets you know what needs to be accomplished so
you aren’t just winging it every day.
Work when you are most productive
Some people are early risers, and like to get
started the moment they jump out of bed. These work at home moms may find it
best to wake up an hour before their children so they can get in some work before
the day even begins.
Others may get more done once everyone is
asleep at night and the house is quiet. If your kids are still around naptime
age, take advantage of that time as well. Learn when you are most productive,
and schedule your work time during that time frame. This ensures you are making
the most of the time you allow for working. Being productive is like working
double-time. You aren’t as distracted, and you get so much more accomplished.
Working during your productive times is one of the best time management tips!
Prioritize your tasks
Just because you are keeping yourself busy
doesn’t mean you are necessarily being productive - or managing your time well.
Look at your schedule and figure out what needs to get finished TODAY. Of that
list, narrow down the 3 most important tasks of the day.
Focus on your most urgent tasks first, so you
can knock them out. Priorities are important. Even if you only get one big task
done a day, that’s better than three not so important tasks. Anything else you
get done on top of your priorities list is just a productivity bonus.
Cha-ching!
Identify and eliminate time wasters
The worst thing you can do when you are a busy
work at home mom is get distracted! This can throw off your entire schedule and
end up with you wasting 2 hours on Facebook while the laundry, dishes, and work
deadlines are left looming over your head. Use free Google Chrome extensions to
block your biggest time wasters, like social media.
Don’t burn yourself out, though. You should
schedule breaks into your day and give yourself the freedom to enjoy these
distractions during those times only. When you are working, close all social
media and even turn off the TV. Set timers for your social media scrolling
time, and listen to music or a podcast that keeps you focused on the task at
hand.
Work with a timer
Challenge yourself to get things checked off
of your to do list efficiently by timing yourself. Within your schedule, you
can create time blocks of 15-to-20-minute increments for work. Once the timer
goes off, give yourself 5 minutes to get up, stretch, take a bathroom break, or
even get a drink or snack.
You’ll soon find that working in these short
stretches trains you to get more done in the same time than if you just sat
down with no time limits to work. If these periods of time are too short,
lengthen them to your liking. Preference and productivity come in all kinds of
shapes and sizes.
Do a brain dump often
Sometimes it’s not our surroundings that make
us unproductive, it’s our own minds. If you have too much to think or worry
about, you likely cannot focus on the task at hand.
A few times a week, sit down and take at least
10 minutes to do a brain dump. Get all of your thoughts, feelings, and even to
do lists out on paper. If you journal, you may find it helpful to do this
often. Simply releasing all the jumble living in your brain can be helpful for
getting your focus back.
Get help when you need it
Sometimes, even managing your time as well as
you can isn’t enough to get to where you need to be. There are so many things' moms have to do to keep everything running smoothly, on top of household
duties. Don’t be afraid to ask for help.
Get your family members or friends to watch
your kids a few hours each week. Maybe you have a sibling or a cousin who’s
interested in your side hustle and would love to help! A mother’s helper is
another option, as they come to your home to watch your kids while you work
undistracted.
Delegate household chores to your partner and
older children to free up time in your schedule. Some tasks in your business
can also be done with the help of your kids and partner.
Don’t forget yourself
It can be easy to look at your schedule and
think about everything you need to do for your family. However, you must
include yourself when thinking about all the people that need to be taken care
of. You can’t manage your time efficiently if you are constantly running on empty.
Schedule in some self-care time, whether it be
a bubble bath, 15 minutes of sitting outside enjoying a cup of coffee each
morning, or reading for 20 minutes each night. Alongside that, make sure you’re
happy and healthy the way you make sure your family is. Sit down and eat when
your family does, take rests and days off as you deem necessary. You need to
recharge your batteries so that you can properly take care of the home!
Time management for work at home moms isn’t as difficult once you have a solid schedule in place. It just takes a bit of practice, patience, and diligence! If you have a great way you manage your time or make your days more productive, please share it below!