Want to know what the most common thing that is said to me as a Mother and a small business owner? “I don’t know how you do it all!” Honestly some days I wonder the same thing! Juggling, Mum life, running our home, health and running a business can be overwhelming at times. If you’re reading this I’m going to guess this is something you can completely relate to. So I want to offer a helping hand and share advice to help Mums working from home. These things have helped me massively and I hope they do the same for you!
Routine
This one is a biggie and something I’ve always struggled with. I don’t particularly thrive on routine, I’m much more of a go with the flow spontaneous type. But I’ve realised if I’m going to achieve my goals I need routine because consistency is the BIGGEST component of success.
Here’s a brief look at my usual weekday daily routine and how I fit work in.
- Start my day with a quick walk, helps clear my mind for the day.
- E-mails and attempt to tackle one thing from the to do list before Jasper wakes up!
- Then switch off from any work, focus on my son till nap time.
- Nap time go, cram in an hour of work!
- Take Jasper out for a walk/play date in the afternoon to get out of the house and away from the temptation of working when I should be focused on him.
- Once bedtime is done I get back to work! Promising to cut off at 9:30pm…don’t always keep that promise!
On the weekends when my husband is home to help with Jasper I usually sneak about 3-4 hours of solid work time. Life saver! I'm also very lucky to have a massively supportive family who will help me out once a week so I can fit in another 3-4 hours of work in!
To Do List System
I want to share with you my top 3 to do lists, this is a system I started a few months ago and it’s been a game changer!
I have my ‘rolling to do list’ which is basically a brain dump of tasks I constantly add to. Previously that would be what I work from but honestly I found it overwhelming. Seeing this seemingly never ending list of tasks that I was never making a dent in! I still have this long list but each evening I choose three tasks from it that I know I can realistically achieve the next day.
This is a much more manageable way for mums working from home to approach their work load! And I get a huge sense of satisfaction when I consistently check off all three items on my to-do list. The key here is to be realistic and honest when choosing which items you will actually be able to manage in your day.
Don't sweat the small stuff
As you can see from my schedule, during the week I don’t really get much time to work. I’m sneaking the odd hour in here and there when I can. I’ve struggled to accept this in the past, feeling frustrated and wishing I could work for a good chunk of uninterrupted time each day. But as this just isn’t my life right now I’ve had to find ways to make this an easier pill to swallow.
I think Mums working from home need to save my bigger tasks for the weekend when I can get that uninterrupted time! There’s nothing more frustrating then sitting down to get a big tasks done, like writing blog posts, catching up on courses, planning my marketing etc, and having to keep breaking off! So instead, I shelve those tasks for when I know I can fully immerse myself in them!
Mums working from home mindset
This one is something I feel confident in saying all Mums struggle with but it’s so important, mindset!
Remind yourself daily that this is your business, it’s not a hobby, your efforts are not a frivolous waste of time. Your business will only succeed and grow if you are consistently putting the work in. Never feel guilty!
Quality time with family
A feeling we all know very well is Mum guilt! It’s rears it’s ugly head all of the time but it’s never more present and more debilitating when you’re trying to work!
I mentioned earlier that I get out everyday with my son to stop me from trying to work when he needs my attention. If I’m home with my laptop in sight the temptation to work is always strong. If I take myself away from that setting I can switch off from my work mind and give my undivided attention to Jasper.
We go for long walks, visit our favourite spots, hang out with friends and family and just have really great quality time together. Then when I do choose to sit down to work, I don’t feel guilty because I know I’ve given Jasper a great day.
Self care
This one shouldn’t just be for Mum working from home but all Mums period! Listen to your body, when you feel your energy levels getting low, stop. Take a day off and rest, do something for yourself, soak in the bath, time with a good book, something to recharge those batteries. Forcing yourself to push through exhaustion is never a good idea! You don’t want to dance with burn out, it’s not good for you, your work or your family.
Make your health a priority!
I know that some days you just don’t know how you’re going to get anything done, it can all be so disheartening but I hope these tips help. And before I leave you I want to remind you of something, you are in the child rearing chapter of life, your business growth will be slow be patient.
If you want to see how I juggle Mum life and work life on the daily, head over to my instagram!
Mums working from home need all the time saving help they can get! I think you'll love this blog full of time saving tips for creating your marketing!
Don't forget to head over to Instagram to see how I juggle Motherhood and business every day!
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