Motherhood is a full-time job. More so if you’re single. If only it paid in cash, you wouldn’t bother with another job that has its own ways of testing your patience. While the reality of parenthood and working from home sometimes feel impossible to balance, others have succeeded in doing it.
You’ll need an extra push towards organisation and discipline not only for yourself but also for your children. Challenging as that may be, the results will leave you in better shape as a working mum.
Introduce Ground Rules
Your children might not grasp it completely, but have the conversation with them anyway. Explain that you can’t manage to have distractions while you’re working. Save the serious talk for the relative or babysitter who will be looking after them while you’re immersed in the world of work.
Installing internal sliding glass doors in your home office improves your chances of meeting this goal. The physical division will serve as a reminder to everyone that you’re not accessible unless you open that door. But since these are glass doors, you can still look at your children on the other side of the room and watch what they do from time to time.
Count your family and friends as people you also need to notify. Despite the popularity of working from home, many still consider it a lesser commitment than a traditional job. A nice reminder should suffice to let them know this isn’t the case.
Schedule Breaks
Working non-stop makes you more vulnerable to suffer from a burnout. Interrupt blocks of high activity with short breaks to prevent this.
How short that break depends on you and the tasks you’re completing. If you’re prone to feeling overwhelmed, take fifteen minutes to power nap or to walk in your garden. Whatever you do, don’t take too long and make sure it’s something that refreshes your mind.
Avoid using your break time to scroll through your social media or watch videos on YouTube. It’s easy to lose track of time when doing this, and you might lose your momentum. Choose other activities that force you to be active to avoid the health risks of sitting for too long.
Build a Routine
A daily routine gives you something to fall back on, especially when you’re not in the mood to work. It provides a sense of control and eases you towards better time management. These things are essential when you need to protect your working hours from tantrums and unwashed dishes.
Knowing you start work at nine in the morning and have lunch with your family at noon can reduce your stress. It’s a simple way to help you accommodate any unexpected errand or activity. Since you’re used to finishing work at three, you know any trip to the dentist or the supermarket should happen around four or five.
It’s also a good way to help you get enough sleep. When you program your body to go to bed at a certain hour, you help yourself sleep faster and better. Rest is vital for every mum, so consider this part of your daily routine sacred.
Mothers are superheroes, but they’re not perfect. You’ll experience insubordination from your children and dissatisfaction from work. Learn to respect your limits physically, mentally and emotionally. What sets you apart is your refusal to quit. There’s nothing a girl boss mentality can’t overcome.
