Unlike when working in an office environment away from the kids, stay-at-home mums have a bigger challenge. Just maintaining concentration on a given task is more difficult. Therefore, being productive is often harder to achieve with any consistency. Accordingly, here are 4 productive tips for stay-at-home mums who are trying to get more done.
1.Rise Before the Kids Do
It’s necessary to get a jump-start on the day, rather than try to get up when the kids do. They’ll surely have questions and drama unfolding almost as soon as they’re up and about. So, it’s important to pre-empt that.
When you’ve planned the day’s activities on the previous day or evening before, then it’s already laid out for you. There’s no need for guesswork or trying to figure it out while still trying to fully wake up.
Also, if it’s important to complete certain tasks such as getting back to people in another time zone, knock them out quickly before your day truly gets underway.
2.Improve the Illumination Levels
When you have a workspace area that’s improperly lit, then it’s less than ideal. Certainly, it can make your eyes get tired sooner due to them working harder to see small print and look at the finer details. In the colder months, the lack of light can affect your energy and mood levels too. So, watch out for that as well. Upgrade your lighting using new fixtures, lamps, and brighter bulbs from sites like powerpointelectrics.co.uk.
3.Use an Organisational System
To stay organised toward tasks to be completed either personally or for work/business, it’s necessary to be disciplined. Whether you’re using a basic To-Do list organiser, Trello to track tasks across multiple active boards, or another system entirely, learn how to use one and get the most out of it.
Also, for appointments, add them to a calendar that will alert you ahead of time. Doing so means you can simply check the calendar and know the day’s not-to-be-missed events without needing to scan through your To-Do list.
4.Reduce the Distractions Under Your Control
While wrangling the kids and having quiet time where they won’t bother you depends on their various ages and maturity levels, you can reduce the distractions under your control.
Notifications
Disable the notifications for apps where you can circle back and catch up to them. For instance, disable all YouTube alerts (you can check the latest notifications in one go after the work is complete). Separate personal from business inboxes, so you still receive business-related alerts, but the personal ones show up either less frequently or not at all.
Turn Off The TV/Tablet
Avoid the temptation to watch the latest TV episode of a favorite series or to catch up on Tik Tok or other rapid consumption media. It will suck an hour out of your day for little value if you let it.
Know that you may not have endless time to get all tasks completed. Therefore, make your life conducive to be productive when the opportunity strikes. Better outcomes are likely to come from there.