Productivity Tips for WFH Moms: Working While Caring for the Baby
Without an inkling of a doubt, being a working mom is hard. What’s even harder? It’s WFH or working from home during the pandemic. The problem is this could be more of a reality for most moms these days. A recent survey showed that about 75% of households in America have young children at home during the pandemic.
And true enough, parenting has been a struggle for many parents, especially mothers. Having children run around while you’re trying to work can be very distracting, not to mention having to attend to every one of their needs during the day.
The fact that you are a mother does not exclude you from performing at work. Even as a mother, you are expected to bring your best to the table. Indeed, productivity is one thing bosses are particular about. But this can be a juggling dilemma of sorts in light of the baby you are holding in your arms.
Luckily, with a few tweaks, you can actually be the employee of the month and at the same time give all the TLC, tender loving care, your baby needs. Here’s the lowdown.
Share Responsibilities
As much as you want to be a super mom, it can be very tiring and stressful. So, the best option you have is not trying to do everything on your own. Share the responsibilities with your partner. To make things easier, you can have shifts to care for the children. This way, each person has an allotted time for work and caring for the children.
If that wouldn’t be so easy, then just ask for help with simple things. Like feeding the children, cleaning when they can, and playing with them when there’s free time. It helps reduce the burden a bit. At the same time, your partner can spend more time with the children and bond.
Survey shows that dads spend less time with their children. This can change if they play significant roles in caring for the children at home.
Work When the Baby’s Asleep
The best time to work is when your child is asleep. You can concentrate easily and achieve more when the little one’s getting his sleep. It would even be great if your child has a sleeping schedule. With this, you can fix your meetings around that time.
Thankfully we have the technology to thank for making life a lot easier. With technology, you can get a lot of work within a short period. For example, if you are a real estate agent, you can easily keep in touch with buyers and sellers online. Even better, finding a ground-breaking, latest real estate app that allows you to effectively sell and buy properties from home is paramount. Such an online functionality can go a long way in helping you cut corners and be productive at the same time.
Plan Your Day
There’s no doubt that having a child can make things unpredictable. To boot, you have no clue when the child might wake up or start crying or want to eat. But even at that, you should still have some control over your day. You must plan your day as best as you can.
A good way to plan your day is to do weekly planning. The evening before a day opens is a good time to see what’s next for you. It should get your priorities straight. Here’s an expert take on planning your day-to-day from a company started by Stephen Covey, the world-renowned ‘7 Habits of Effective People’ author.
Take note, even without planning, the day will end. So, have a plan. List of things you need to achieve that day.
Nix Distractions
There’s no denying that children can be very distracting. But they aren’t the only cause of distraction while working. There are many other things like social media that can easily distract you. Ensure you turn off notifications for apps that are not work-related. This will help you concentrate a lot better.
A good way not to be distracted is having a dedicated home office. By having a door you can close when working, you ensure greater productivity happens when while WFH.
Practice Self-care
As a mother, you sometimes forget about yourself and just focus on your family. But if you want to be productive at work, you have to care about yourself. For one, rest is a necessary element. Ensure you rest as much as you can. If you’re tired during the day, factor short naps when you can to help you regain your strength.
Also, eat good food. Ensure your food contains enough nutrients. It should be rich in vitamins and minerals. This will help boost your immune system, not to mention give you a timely energy boost. What’s more, you should find time to sweat and exercise. Not only do you calm yourself when you do, but you also gain a better perspective as you comb through the day.
Find time to replenish yourself. Learn to relax from time to time. Have a good laugh when you can. The thing about productivity is it works best if you find balance. Know that when you’re happy, you produce more at work. And best of all, such happiness spread to everyone in the family, your baby first and for
