10 Things I’ve Learned Since Working At Home

work at home mom edition

I’ve been a Work At-Home Mom for over 4 years now. Aside from the crazy growth my family has endured through this time, I have also had to learn to adjust to the changes being a work from home brings. Working from home has a lot of obstacles that you may not expect when accepting the Work at Home life. Check out my top 10 tips to owning work from home. 

(in no particular order)

1: Having a Schedule (and sticking to it) is super important!

• Certainly easier said than done and requires a lot of self discipline. But when you strategically plan all of the week’s tasks into a schedule, you’ll have less of forgetting things and have less information running through your subconscious, making it easier for you.

 

2: Making it a priority to move your body really makes a difference

• This can look different for everyone, from a little game outside with the kids or fetch with the dogs, or an easy walk or intense workout! Your brain and body will thank you. 
• Some benefits of exercise are: decreased stress, improved processing of emotions, increased energy focus and attention, improved memory, and improved blood circulation. 

3: Drink your water!

• This one is easy for some, and the hardest for others! The benefits of consuming enough water are too long to list here, I could seriously write a whole blog dedicated to that! Need to know how much water to drink?
• Take your weight and divide by 2. In general, you should be drinking that # in ounces to your weight in
  ounces of water.
• Example: If you weigh 180 lbs, your water intake goal is 90-180 oz of water per day!

 

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4: Make it quiet time for anybody home while you’re working

• Another one that is easier said than done, but if you have a schedule you follow, everything will fall in place for you to get quiet-ish (let’s be serious they’re still there) work time. Schedule your work when your kids – or dogs – will be tired or occupied, I always resort to open ended toys (legos, blocks, etc.)  and screen time!

 

5: Have a place to work, even if it isn’t conventional!

• Yes, ideally I would always work in my quiet office but we all know that isn’t reality. Most of the time my work gets done on our adjustable couch, specifically the side next to the wall outlet to charge my laptop.
• Considering I’m a work at home mom with a 2 year old here with me (alongside the dogs) I like having a place where I can see her but have some space to work. I’ll usually put in my airpods and turn on some music, definitely more motivating than PJ Masks and nursery rhymes!

 

6: When possible, break up your work throughout the day

• By doing this, it’s easier to focus on your kids and your work. You’ll have better quality work and everyone will notice. When you focus your energy on one thing at a time, be mindful to block out other thoughts until later.
• Instead of sitting down for your 5 hours of work straight is tremendously more strenuous on your body compared to if you were to break it up into 1-2 hour increments with short breaks. 

 

7: Make self care a priority 

• For me, I have a small list of 5 things I do each week that make me feel better and I do one each day. This way I get the opportunity to fill my cup every day some other way than physical exercise. 

Make a list of 5 things you find essential to feel happy, confident, and ready to seize the day! Then, choose which days you’ll do what and bam instant self care schedule. Now you gotta stick to it!

 

8: Avoid all of the distractions

• If you find yourself easily distracted by emails, phone calls, texts, and social media notifications.. It may be a good idea to sign out of emails and turn your phone off – or if you have an iPhone, set up “work mode”.
  

 

9: Doing non work tasks during work time is the absolute productivity killer

• Going back and forth between tasks certainly isn’t ideal. So try to stick to your schedule & stay focused on the task at hand. If you’re at the hair salon, it may not be the best time to work on that project you’ve been putting off. And vice versa, when you’re scheduled to be completing your work tasks, it isn’t the best time to start folding laundry.

 

10: It takes a lot of self discipline

• As you see from the other 9 reasons, a lot require you to stay dedicated and have substantially more self discipline than when you were working in the office. On the other hand though, it comes with a very long list of benefits. So when it’s starting to get rough, make a list of what you appreciate about working from home. 

 

Did any of these shock you? Can you relate to any of these? Let us know in the comments! Stay connected with us through social media and our newsletter to stay up to date with WAHWF.

 

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