You work from home, but do you feel like you don’t have enough time for the day?
I can hear it! Like many moms, I decided that when my first baby was born I wanted to work from home. It was tough, but I took it slowly and somehow made it work. But now I have two children at home. I’m obviously insane (the kids do that!), so I’m taking on more clients than ever.
When I started setting the alarm at 4am, I found myself at my desk in the middle of the night and then I threw and turn it for half the night because I was over-stimulated – I knew I had to make some big changes. I love my job and I love my kids, but I feel like the latter is suffering because of the former. I admit that I’ve snapped to my kids more than I would like, and I’m often mentally distracted.
Overwhelmed, owned, exhausted words were a big player in my new vocabulary. Certainly there is no time. Why do we always put ourselves last?
Whether you have children or not, I know I’m not alone. Is there a way to work from home without being forced to the ground? To know where to start, I went to several online groups (in a very hard way) and asked women who have successfully worked from home for the best productivity tips, hacks, tools, and sane savers. I know I need all the help that can work more effectively!
Here are 10 effective productivity tips, directly from the women who are nailing it.
1. plan
I create a weekly plan on Monday or Sunday and use all the activities I can predict (and there is also a new client task that pops up in the week). After that, set weekly goals. Then I create a plan every morning before starting work and give a rating of 1-5 on prioritization. Also, make sure everything for the week is processed before logging off on the weekend. – Eva, freelance copywriter
I write a plan. Looking at the time on paper makes visualization and commitment easier. Oddly, there’s far more time on paper than you think. – Andrea, online store owner
2. Pomodoro Technique
Make sure to check out the Pomodoro technique. Research shows that our brains are more productive during work with short breaks. I love how I’m on track for productivity. There are many apps or Chrome extensions available. Using Chrome Extension, a window pops up with “5 minute break time” and another window, “Time to start focus”. It’s the best! – Tamara, Massage Therapy Business Owner
3. Outsource the task
I’m actually a VA, but I’ll hire someone to take on all my client’s social media (create graphics and post them) and tell them to either provide content based on what the client says or use the initiative if they have full control. It saved me. – Christa, Virtual Assistant
Related content: How to outsource tasks when you have a budget
4. Use the app
Use Trello (free version) to track everything and make sure there are all deadlines there. It keeps me sorting out. – Crystal, Editor of Freelance Magazine
I discovered Franz yesterday. Franz is a platform that holds all your messaging systems on one dashboard. More email, Slack, Messenger, Skype, and loading. This is a game changer for me! – Sonya, social media manager
Related content: Three ways to increase productivity with everyday technology
5. Paper diary
Very old and effective: When I work at a desk, I map a day with a paper diary – a day on a page. Lists the tasks to perform. You need to do it today. You can wait. Prioritize A1, A2, A3, etc. And I enter it into my diary and estimate the time I need. I’m easily distracted, but the joy of ticking off drives me. If you do anything else that isn’t listed, list and check it out! Self-study as an accomplisher is essential. People can only achieve their belief in themselves to the level of their own beliefs. I work in business with love, not fear. – Katherine, Business Advisory and Leadership Mentoring
Bullet Journal helps me plan my day and organize my tasks in order of importance. There are many resources online and show you the different ways to create them. – Kathryn, Educational Consultant
6. Distract the kids
I’m crafting time with my 4- and 2-year-olds and sitting with them while I edited paperwork and photos. It’s better than nothing, and as long as you’re there with them, they’re happy. – Andrea, online store owner
I’m the most accomplished outside. My boy loves to explore outside, so I set up a rocky water/mud area for bargains. I also do a number of activities I found on Inside on Pinterest. But you definitely don’t get as much at once as you can when they’re not around. – Tennille, blogger
I have three kids (6, 4, and 2) and it’s easy to go to school. I make sure I play every morning and I pay my utmost attention to them. It fills their cups and then I can walk away and get some work done while they keep playing. I move their play around the house and the garden to where I work. Otherwise, they’ll mostly help me out at work. – Melissa, kids toy maker
Related content: Home moms can entertain their kids in 10 ways without using technology
7. Self-care
I recently started to wake up at 5am I am not a morning person, please be aware! I went to the local gym so I went, exercise, thoughts and plans for the day I was ongoing, then I was back on my baby’s 7am feed. It feels like it gives me a head start. You can also put your bub in your daycare for 1-2 hours during the day and go to a cafe to get the job done. You don’t even have to go to the gym! – Aoife, founder of Tech
Related content: How to practice self-care and spend more time
8. Wing It!
My productivity tip is to keep you away from distractions on your mobile phone or personal social media. And wings! – Sonia, Virtual Assistant
I have three children under the age of five. Otherwise, I’ll make it all into wings. single. day. – Breena, online store owner
9. review
I take 2 hours each week and look at the week to see what takes the most time and what gets better (although every month, it’s fine here too). – Gina, website developer
Write some repetitive tasks and try to find a hack that handles them faster (for example, a text expander or canned reply) or write a process. – Sarah, Project Manager
10. Set the scene
I try to use good music and turn it off from everything else that can be distracting when working from home. This means using your caller ID to ignore certain calls and switch from social media. However, I believe that setting priorities between your professional and family life is essential, and I still managed to find a way to get it all done. For example, I allow myself to work for two hours, then I force myself to take a break, hanging out or vacuuming the floor. Then I’ll do the next two hours of work. This helps me better deal with “mama guilt” and helps me keep me productive as I know a break is coming. If I had kids at home, I showed them how important it was to allow me to work in peace. So they left me alone in the morning and then we do things together after lunch. – Katrina, freelance writer
Conclusion.
I love all these productivity tips from amazing work women. What do you think is the first tip you should try? I know my first fight actually finds time to implement and test some of these suggestions, but that’s worth it in the long run. I need to get out of the air and find a little more headspace. I owe it to myself that I have a little more “my time” and I owe it to my kids more patient and exist while I work from home.