How Work at Home Moms Can Manage Their Time
One of the main advantages of working at home is having a flexible schedule.
You are able to attend school events and be there for your children at times that would not be possible if you were working outside of the home.
However, this flexibility can make it difficult for you to draw firm boundaries around your work time.
It is important to treat your job seriously.
If you don't respect your work at home career, then your friends and family won't either.
You need to make it clear that there are times when you must be able to concentrate and complete your tasks.
If your children are home with you during your work hours, be consistent about when you are available and when you need time to concentrate.
For example, if you have small children, you may set a timer for 10 minutes and let them know that when the timer goes off, you will be ready to play.
Or set a consistent quiet time after lunch, when you are able to work while your children look at books, play on the computer, or play with toys.
When quiet time is done, make a point to give them special attention and have some fun! Add a clear transition period into your routine.
Maybe it is after breakfast or after the kids leave for school.
Even your morning coffee can be the trigger to starting your work day.
Sit down at your desk and shift your attention mentally from your personal to your professional priorities.
Go over your to do list to help you shift into gear.
Stick with it in the tough times.
When work is getting overwhelming, it can be very tempting to jump up from your chair and go put in a load of laundry.
The truth is, there is always going to be something that needs to be done around the house.
You can not use those chores as an excuse to stop working when you reach a difficult task.
If you do, you may end up with a very clean house and no work completed.
Even worse, your house may still be less than perfect and your work not done.
Just plow through the tough stuff.
Once you have finished part of the task, you can get up and take a break if needed.
It will be much easier to come back to a difficult project if you have already gotten started.
Just don't let your household projects distract you from your work.
If something is really bothering you, you may start a small list of tasks to work on after your business hours are over.
Another challenge for work at home moms is knowing when to stop working.
It can be tempting to work through your evenings and weekends when you know that there is much to be done.
Remember that you need balance in order to be the most effective.
An occasional evening or weekend of work is fine, but work is not your life.
Sometimes you need to step back from the task at hand to see the problem more clearly.
Don't be surprised if the answer to your work issues comes to you while you are in the bath tub! Your mind often solves problems when it is given time to calmly reflect.
Choose a transition activity for ending work and beginning family time.
It could be checking your personal email, cleaning up your desk area, or any other activity that eases you back into the outside world.
Remember to keep your family time just as sacred as your work time.
As before, if you think of something work related that you have to do, keep a short list to be read during your business hours.
Otherwise, enjoy your time with family and your personal interests.
This will help you stay energized and refreshed.
You are able to attend school events and be there for your children at times that would not be possible if you were working outside of the home.
However, this flexibility can make it difficult for you to draw firm boundaries around your work time.
It is important to treat your job seriously.
If you don't respect your work at home career, then your friends and family won't either.
You need to make it clear that there are times when you must be able to concentrate and complete your tasks.
If your children are home with you during your work hours, be consistent about when you are available and when you need time to concentrate.
For example, if you have small children, you may set a timer for 10 minutes and let them know that when the timer goes off, you will be ready to play.
Or set a consistent quiet time after lunch, when you are able to work while your children look at books, play on the computer, or play with toys.
When quiet time is done, make a point to give them special attention and have some fun! Add a clear transition period into your routine.
Maybe it is after breakfast or after the kids leave for school.
Even your morning coffee can be the trigger to starting your work day.
Sit down at your desk and shift your attention mentally from your personal to your professional priorities.
Go over your to do list to help you shift into gear.
Stick with it in the tough times.
When work is getting overwhelming, it can be very tempting to jump up from your chair and go put in a load of laundry.
The truth is, there is always going to be something that needs to be done around the house.
You can not use those chores as an excuse to stop working when you reach a difficult task.
If you do, you may end up with a very clean house and no work completed.
Even worse, your house may still be less than perfect and your work not done.
Just plow through the tough stuff.
Once you have finished part of the task, you can get up and take a break if needed.
It will be much easier to come back to a difficult project if you have already gotten started.
Just don't let your household projects distract you from your work.
If something is really bothering you, you may start a small list of tasks to work on after your business hours are over.
Another challenge for work at home moms is knowing when to stop working.
It can be tempting to work through your evenings and weekends when you know that there is much to be done.
Remember that you need balance in order to be the most effective.
An occasional evening or weekend of work is fine, but work is not your life.
Sometimes you need to step back from the task at hand to see the problem more clearly.
Don't be surprised if the answer to your work issues comes to you while you are in the bath tub! Your mind often solves problems when it is given time to calmly reflect.
Choose a transition activity for ending work and beginning family time.
It could be checking your personal email, cleaning up your desk area, or any other activity that eases you back into the outside world.
Remember to keep your family time just as sacred as your work time.
As before, if you think of something work related that you have to do, keep a short list to be read during your business hours.
Otherwise, enjoy your time with family and your personal interests.
This will help you stay energized and refreshed.
