Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, many parents were forced to adopt a work-from-home setup. But whether you are new to it or not, it can be challenging to work if you have kids to take care of.
If you are one of those employees who juggles work and family, here are eight tips that you can apply:
1. SET A WORK-FROM-HOME SCHEDULE
Managing your time is essential for productivity. But it can be extra challenging to do so for work at home parents.
Time can pass by so fast when many things are going on at home. There is work you need to finish, kids you have to take care of, and a family to cook meals for.
If you want to have some sense of normalcy, we suggest that you prepare a work-from-home schedule. Another crucial thing is to coordinate your plan with your partner, parent, or baby sitter.
Doing so ensures that your family is taken care of while you work. And during your break, you can spend time with them for a while.
2. PRACTICE BATCHING METHOD
Aside from having a work-from-schedule, it can also help if you practice the batching method.
The batching method means doing similar tasks in a particular period. If you are a content writer and editor, that could mean editing in the morning and writing in the afternoon. Sometime in between, you can do chores or play with your child.
What’s cool about the batching method is that you can focus on one type of task for a certain period. Once you are done, you still have enough brainpower to work on your other tasks.
3. KNOW WHEN TO EAT YOUR FROG
They say that the best way to tackle the day is to do your most challenging task first. That’s because you will not have much energy later to do those.
However, we advise that you do it when you have the most energy. After all, some people feel productive during the day, and some work well at night.
4. HAVE A DEDICATED WORKSPACE
If you want to get things done, you must have your workspace. Consider yourself lucky if you can have a home office. Otherwise, you need to find a dedicated space where you can work.
It does not have to be something fancy. It can be an old table where your desktop computer or laptop can fit. What’s important is that you are not working in your bedroom or in the living room where you can get distracted easily.
A table and chair in one corner of the room are enough to be your working area as long as you can focus and get things done.
5. SET BOUNDARIES
One of the biggest challenges of working from home is the blurred lines between work time and family time.
If you decide to just wing it, it might be challenging to achieve a work-life balance. Hence, we advise you to set boundaries.
For one, you should let your family members know when you are working and should not be disturbed. Another thing you can do is sticking to a log-off time. Some would even advise that you say a phrase to yourself, conditioning your mind that you should not be working.
Sticking to this routine will allow you to have a sense of normalcy and achieve a work-life balance.
6. USE PRODUCTIVITY APPS
Having a dedicated workspace and working when you are most productive is one way to be productive. But if you want to maximize your productivity, consider using apps and tools.
There are a plethora of apps that you can use to streamline your work. You can use tools to automate some of your repetitive tasks like Asana. And some remind you when to work and take a break like Pomodoro for Chrome.
There are also some apps that can help you organize house chores or your family’s activities. Hence, find one that suits your needs and take advantage of its features.
7. KNOW WHEN TO STOP
When working from home and taking care of your kids, getting started may feel like a drag. However, there are those who cannot stop working once they get started.
It sounds like a good thing, but it can be detrimental to your health.
Not taking a break could mean you miss a mealtime or you do not stand up to stay away from your computer for a while. That said, you should make sure to have a dedicated stop time. You can even use a Pomodoro timer to remind you to take a break and stand up from time to time.
It is any point in the day when you should take a break or stop working. An excellent example would be lunchtime or dinner time. Hence, this will be crucial for your time management routine.
8. DON’T SHOULDER EVERYTHING
At Maid Sailors Office Cleaning Companies NYC, they believe that you should not shoulder everything alone. It does not matter whether it is taking care of kids, cooking for your family, or cleaning the house.
That said, we suggest that you get as much help as you can. You can schedule regular home cleaning so you can free up some time for yourself.
It also forces you to get out of your workspace when someone’s cleaning. Doing so enables you to hang out with your family. On the other hand, you can also hire a babysitter to look for your kids while working.
Conclusion
As a parent, it can be challenging to work from home. But you should not beat yourself up about it just because you cannot work and take care of your family simultaneously.
If you want to be a present parent and an effective employee, the key is sticking to a routine. Doing so allows you to set and manage expectations for your family. It also ensures that you get things done for the company you work for.
Moreover, you must have a clean and organized workspace. It does not matter whether you have a home office or you are working on a kitchen countertop. What’s important is that it is clear that you are free from destruction.
