As a mom, you’re out to conquer the world and that includes being a total moss boss in and outside the home.
Being a stay-at-home mom who works from home is not the easiest task, and managing your kids at the same time can just about drive you insane.
If I didn’t use these tips that helped me manage my daily routine, I would be totally frazzled and wrecked.
From one mom to the next, I’m telling you that you can be productive, work on your side job, and manage your household at the same time.
Buuut, it may come with just a few tips and tricks that you can use strategically.
Worry not, busy boss mom!
I’m here to share my tips on how to boost your productivity while working from home (with or without the kids)!
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8 ways to boost your productivity
1. Use a Planner
Using a planner to manage your days as a working mom is a great way to start being productive at home.
Productivity and planning basically go hand in hand. If you haven’t started using a planner as yet, this is the perfect time to start.
I actually wasn’t using a planner for years.
But after working from home with my son, I saw how hectic my days were.
I also realized that I spent a long time on certain tasks rather than others.
After going through the motions for months, I just knew I needed SOME type of planning for my days.
This was the case for both my working and non-working days because, HELLO, so much mommy stuff to do throughout the day!
When I started to use a planner though, I noticed that my days would run more smoothly, and even though my schedule wasn’t perfect, I was able to finish (most) of my errands, chores, and day-to-day tasks more quickly.
If you’re totally new to using a planner, you can start with a simple one-page planner that you can list daily tasks that you need to complete.
This type of planner will make it simple so you won’t be overwhelmed by a monthly task sheet that carries a lot of planning sheets.
If you want something that’s a bit more thorough, you can try using a binder that has a collection of sheets for organizing and keeping track of everything in your home.
2. Create a Routine ( you can actually stick to)
Another way to boost your productivity is by creating a daily routine.
This is where your planner will come in handy.
Your daily schedule will not be just random, mundane tasks, but day-to-day errands that you know you HAVE to get done.
I personally know that having a routine that works, especially when you work at home with kids, is not going to work perfectly.
However, it’s something that you can practice until the whole family gets a hang of it.
And listen, your routine won’t be the same every day and you’re going to miss the goal very often (I’m guilty of this) but just try to stay as consistent as you can each day until you catch the habit.
This might not seem like a very life-changing hack, but believe me, it has worked wonders for me when I’ve been working on projects at home and trying to manage my time.
Having a schedule or routine can help you be more conscious of your time and how you use it.
It will also help you to know what tasks work best at a certain time of the day, and what tasks you should be doing on other days, based on your schedule.
It’s also essential to be intentional about what you fit into your schedule and how best it benefits you and your family’s routine.
The best way to get your routine to a workable stage is to plan from the day before, and then you can access how productive you are each day with those tasks.
3. Focus on Specific Tasks Each Day
This is gonna be hard for most of us moms because we wanna get EVERYTHING done in one day. But let me tell you now…
That’s SO not gonna happen!
You might not feel accomplished because you didn’t complete 500 chores in one day, but it’s best to work smarter and not harder.
One way you can do this is by focusing on 2 or 3 tasks each day that are manageable and won’t make you feel completely burnt out!
Doing only a small amount of tasks can improve your productivity by allowing you to properly complete these tasks without being in a rush to do all the rest.
Setting up a schedule, using a planner, and then doing only the tasks you need to do, can help you get through more work within the week.
This is a great productivity hack because you may not always get to complete a task on a certain day.
However, by focusing on doing a certain amount each day, you can always allow an uncompleted task to roll over to another day.
In that case, you can still add this task to your schedule for another week and it will still be manageable because you’re doing so few things each day.
4. Wake Early
This is one of the beautiful things about working online and setting your own schedule.
There are days when, though I’m grumpy to get up super early, I am still able to get in some rest later on in the day when my son is having ‘quiet time’ or having independent play.
Rising early is one of the best tricks in the book for being a productive stay-at-home mom.
It allows you to get ahead with a few extra things you couldn’t get completed the day before.
Not only does it give you extra time to work and do chores, but you can do more because your brain is more awake at that time.
But I do know that everyone is different and that productivity has more to do with an individual’s personality and preferences.
So always, always do what’s best for you and your family.
As I’ve been working online and tackling chaotic days in my own household, I’ve found that earlier mornings work better for me because I’m more focused on the tasks ahead.
Waking earlier doesn’t mean you need to be bombarded with a list of chores and demands though.
You can always find that time to do things you wouldn’t be able to do at any other time in the day.
Those things could be:
- Devotional time
- Morning exercise
- Listening to an audiobook
- Just ‘chillaxing’
- Having a mini spa hour
- Reading a nice book
Waking earlier can provide an extra boost to your productivity simply by having time to yourself, to do what you need to do.
5. Listen to Audio While You Work
One way I get totally motivated when I’m working is to break the *silent* monotony. Playing some audio while you work can help you be more productive while you work at home.
If you’re someone who gets annoyed by background noise of even the gentlest kind, you can forget this tip now, but if you do enjoy that kinda thing then….bonus!
There are a few ways to integrate a little sound into your work/chore/productivity day which include listening to:
- Podcasts
- Music
- Audiobooks
- Bible verses
- Nature Docs
There are lots of things you may like that I haven’t listed here. Just play around and find what suits you.
What I’ve noticed in my own working days is that playing something in the background will help motivate me to reach my goal for the day and add a bit of change to an otherwise ordinary routine.
6. Get Some Much-Needed Quiet Time
This can be a much-welcomed relief to moms everywhere. After all, you can’t get enough time to yourself as a mom huh?
It can be tough to get some quiet time alone when you work at home with kids, but with a little bit of delegating, you can definitely get it done! Taking the time to plan a self-care schedule could help.
Here are 5 ways to get some quiet ‘mommy’ time at home:
- Let kids try independent play
- Delegate (easy) chores
- Have kids listen to an educational audiobook
- Give them Worksheets
- Let them have their own quiet time
I’ve tried all these tips when I’m home working with my son, and they’ve all worked.
Again, I know every family is unique and children will respond to these differently.
So it’s always best to choose things you know will get them settled easily.
Your quiet time may last from 5 minutes to even an hour (I know I’m pushing it here) so it’s the perfect time for you to do something you really enjoy and don’t get to do often.
In my quiet time, I’ll often watch funny cat videos to ease my mind. (I love those little buggers!)
I recommend adding a quiet time to your schedule every day if you can, you’ll see just how much it helps. A little self-care goes a long way!
7. Do Meal Planning
I know not everyone is into meal planning as it can be really hectic to get everything down on paper.
But it’s really a great idea to have a weekly or monthly meal planning objective so you can get that hurdle out of the way.
Meal planning can save you lots of time because you won’t have to get up every day wondering what you’re cooking for the day.
By prepping this way, you can set out what you’re preparing each day of the week and you can purchase everything ahead and even label these items according to the day you’ll use them.
You can organize your meal planning by using color-coded sheets or stickers based on the day of the week and add them to your groceries for reference.
Another great way is to do your shopping online with Instacart and get it delivered. This way you can save on time and be much less stressed!
Always create your meal planning sheet ahead of time, so that when you go shopping, you buy only exactly what you need.
It can be easy to go overboard when grocery shopping.
Give meal planning a try to save on money, time, and stress.
8. Do Laundry While You Work
This is a must-do for stay-at-home moms who want to make it through the days without going crazy.
If you have a large family, then it is a NECESSITY.
I try to do my laundry while I’m working online, homeschooling or doing other chores because it makes my life MUCH easier.
You can do 2 or 3 loads if needed all while you’re attending to something else because of its ‘passive’ nature.
Right now laundry has become my go-to chore of sorts because I find it so uncomplicated!
Put in clothes. Close lid, turn dial, and BAM! Done! I Love it!
And no, I’m not going crazy. I might not love DOING laundry itself, but I love the fact that I can get all the mess cleared up while I’m hitting down other chores all in one go.
You can try setting up a laundry schedule to coincide with your other chores or even your work-time to get the ‘load’ off (see what I did there?) in one go.
8 Clever Mom Hacks to Boost Your Productivity
Working from home with kids while trying to be productive can be a marathon in itself. Hopefully, these tips can help you to not only boost your productivity but make your mom life just a bit easier.
Let me know in the comments below if you have any helpful tips that have worked for you. Until next time!
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