Tips to Balance Home and Work Life
Balancing Home & Work
Last time I posted some basic tips for moms on balancing staying at and working from home. I started with some general guidelines, and they got me thinking I wanted to post some more specific tips for getting it all done and not going crazy! Avoiding the loony house may sound severe, but if you’ve ever tried to keep the kids occupied so you can sit down to cross a few things off your to-do list, you already know how challenging that can be. What used to be a matter of personal motivation now centers around finding the time to do anything at all.
The Importance of Setting a Schedule
I mentioned before it’s important to set a rough schedule and try to stick with it, even if it means trying it for a week or a month and then amending it. This can be the trickiest part sometimes because finding the time to work with small kids on the brain is practically an Olympic sport. There are several time slots you might want to experiment with.
Tips to Balance Home and Work Life
- If your kids are later risers or you are good in the mornings, it might benefit you to get up before the kids and squeeze in an hour or two. For some, this means 3 in the morning, so I’m not advising it for all! However, those quiet hours of the wee morning can be quite productive with a cup of coffee.
- An alternative to early rising is to work during preschool, nap time, or movie time. Our family has a fairly set schedule I know I can count on for getting some work time in. One child naps 1-3pm and one usually attends preschool then. During the holidays like summer, I try to provide a craft or movie for my older, non-napping child to do while I work.
- Another good block of time is evening, after the kids go to bed. I know it’s sacred down time, but it might be some of the quietest, most focused time you get during the day.
- Lastly, you might consider switching off with another stay at home mom. You would each take turns watching kids so each of you gets some time to yourself. Even if she doesn’t work from home, she could certainly use some by herself errand time.
Regardless of when you work, distractions are inevitable. I have been working from home for 3 years now, and from kids being rambunctious to dogs barking to neighborhood sales kids with cookies, there is an abundance of noise. I can honestly say one of the best investments you can make is a sound machine. Choose one that suits you and your needs (it can even double for a sleep aid at night!) and use it so you can tune out a distracting world around you.
Finding the time to work from home can seem impossible, especially when you have to tune out distractions. Try these simple tips for carving out some work time so you can balance home and work life.