Mums Working From Home – Tips To Get Organised!
Are you a mum contemplating starting a home business or working from home? Perhaps you are already working from home and wondering how you can improve your efficiency both as a mum and a business owner? Being a mum and working from home can be one of the biggest challenges, however there are many things you can do to be successful at both. For me, the absolute most important thing is to be organised.
Before I started my home business, I already felt busy looking after my two young children full-time. When I started working from home, ‘busy’ became ‘overwhelmed’. I since realised that I had in fact increased my workload just by being disorganised, and found that the work was manageable after I became organised.
I focus on a few things to make sure that I have the right balance between being a mum and working at home, and that I am successful in both roles:
1. Have a Comprehensive Schedule
This is my most important tool. Having determined your ‘working hours’ is not enough. My schedule includes specific time slots for specific types of tasks, such as making calls, updating my website, marketing activities, writing articles, checking my emails, education, etc. With such a detailed plan, I reach the end of the week knowing that I have accomplished all my tasks. It also prevents me from spontaneously choosing the tasks I prefer doing (there will always be tasks I don’t enjoy doing but must do!). Mentally demanding tasks are allocated to the time slots when I am most alert and least disrupted. I also choose to pack the early days of the week with longer hours and more demanding tasks, so that the end of the week is easier when I am most tired. I like to stay flexible with the house work, family activities, shopping and other chores, but you may wish to include those in your schedule if you are finding it difficult to get everything done. Finally, make sure you have accomplished all your goals at the end of the week by reviewing your schedule, and adjust your schedule as needed for the following week.
2. When You Work, Work!
This is harder when you have young children at home and you want to work around them. I find that if I try to wear both my mum and work hats at the same time, I don’t do any of my jobs right. I’m not focused on my work when my children need my attention, and I’m not attentive to my children while I work. If you need to do both at once at a particular time, and it will happen sometimes, make sure you choose tasks that are not mentally demanding or that take a long time to complete, and set up your children with special toys, music, a snack or a video. If they are old enough to understand, explain to them how long you need to work for, and maybe even promise a special game or treat for when you are done if they play nicely while you work!
3. Keep It Tidy
You can waste so much valuable time looking for things! Keep everything organised, sorted and tidy. No more piling up and scattering! Take the time to build the tracking and filing systems you need. When you need that document or phone number, you don’t want to waste time and patience looking for it. I even set up a time in my schedule for tidying up my office, otherwise it doesn’t get done and papers just pile up!
4. Make Time For You
Being a working mum is hard work, and can easily take up all your time (even sleeping time!). Your home, your family and your business are all organised, but have you thought about scheduling a time slot just for you and your well-being? I allocate time in my weekly schedule for activities that help my well-being (meditation, exercising, having a bath, reading, cooking, going out, etc). Make sure you make time for you every week to do the things you enjoy and help you relax and re-fuel.
5. Get Some Help
Consider enlisting the help of your partner and other family members for house chores or minding your children. Perhaps your partner can help out by making dinner a few nights per week while you work, or the grandparents can make regular weekly visits to look after the kids for a few hours? Of course, if paid help is an option for you, think about getting someone to help you with the time consuming housework!
So these are my 5 tips: get yourself a detailed schedule and stick to it as much as possible, be devoted to working during your working hours, keep a tidy and organised office, schedule time for you, and enlist family helpers.