5 Tips to Simplify Your Work-From-Home Life

Isn’t it funny how some folks who don’t work from home think it’s all dreamy? Well, it is kinda dreamy if you don’t have kids, pets, or a partner at home with you. If you’re an introvert who lives alone and works from home, you’ve hit the jackpot in the career situation department. Good for you!

But if that’s not your situation, this post is for you. We’re going to chat about ways to make working from home better and more productive, especially if you deal with tons of distractions.

So, how do you actually get work done as a work-at-home mom without losing your mind, especially if childcare isn’t always available?

Well, here are a few things that often work pretty well for me.

Get Up Earlier or Stay Up Later

Get up a bit earlier or stay awake a tad later, even if it’s just an hour. Some super organized people say you should wake up early, like 4 AM early, but let’s be real – do what works for you and your family! Not everyone is a morning person, and those productivity gurus don’t always get what it’s like to be a parent or take care of someone.

You’ll notice a big boost in getting stuff done if you can find time to work without interruptions. Don’t think you need a huge chunk of time; even 30 minutes or an hour a day is plenty. Don’t stress if you can’t do a marathon work session.

I’m more of a night person, so I often stay up a bit later. But if my kids stay up late, I might choose to wake up a bit earlier instead. It’s all good! If you can check off your top 1-2 things for the day in the morning or the night before, it’s gonna seriously help you get things done. And it will probably make you feel better too!

Plan Before Starting To Work

Figure out your plan before diving into work. It helps to jot down your top three goals for the day if you can. Just a quick list on paper, your phone, or your favorite project tool before the day kicks off can really boost your productivity.

Sometimes, it might seem like listing things out is unnecessary because you think you know what needs to be done. But trust me, it’s super easy to sit down and zone out for 10 minutes before you get on track with work. And for parents, 10 minutes can be a big chunk of solid work time down the drain.

I used to make, like, 10 priorities for the day before having kids, but now I keep it short. Otherwise, I feel like I failed when I couldn’t finish my super long to-do list. So, maybe give it a shot with 2-3 main tasks per day if you have the same issue!

Realistic goals just feel more… well… realistic. It’s way easier to get started on anything when your goals are doable.

Let Go of Feeling Guilty About Screen Time

It’s tough not to hear all the negative talk about moms letting their kids watch TV or play on a tablet. But here’s the deal – there’s no real proof that a bit of screen time is bad for kids, especially when it’s not too much.

Being a work-from-home mom means figuring out lots of ways to keep your kids busy while you’re working. Sure, you can do a bunch of work during naps or when you get up early or stay up late, but it doesn’t always work out that way. As a mom working from home, it’s okay to use screen time when you need to focus on your job.

If you feel better when your kids are watching something educational, make a list of shows and games you’re cool with. If you have to let them watch TV for a bit so you can get some work done, no need to feel guilty. They’re safe and fed, and you’re working hard to provide for them.

Don’t stress if someone says you should limit screen time. You know your kids do lots of other stuff besides screens. You’re doing great; stand tall, and focus on the important stuff – the time you spend with your kids and the work you’re doing to take care of them.

Ask For Help Whenever You Need

If you’re not already taking help with the kids, maybe you’re someone who finds it hard to accept a hand. Whether it’s free help from friends and family or paid help from a childcare person, think about how it could make your work-from-home life easier.

Could you arrange for childcare even one day a week? Two days? It could give you a bunch more time in your week to get stuff done. For me, having one day a week has made a big difference.

I work on web design projects that usually take a few weeks, so having a whole day here and there to really focus on my work helps a lot. Full-time daycare was too expensive for me, but I’m cool with paying for hourly drop-in childcare and using it 1-2 days a week.

Before I could do that, I just stayed up really late to get things done. It still happens sometimes, but not every single day.

So, if you’ve got help available, use it. Forget about that mom-guilt stuff! Just make sure you’ve got a plan so you know you’re making the best use of that time. I get it, accepting help can be tough, but if you need to get things done, you gotta get things done!

Try Meal Prepping

If you’re not into the whole meal-prepping thing, just hear me out for a second. There’s a middle ground that won’t eat up too much of your time.

Setting aside an hour per week to whip up quick dinners that you can toss into a crockpot, oven, or instant pot can save you loads of time—no need to spend hours in the kitchen every day.

Some super moms even manage to sneak in a few lunches during their meal prep time! #momgoals.

Whether you’re into oven meals, crockpot creations, instant pot wonders, or a mix of all, making freezer meals ready to dump and go can be a game-changer.

I don’t know about you, but keeping my family fed with food I feel good about stresses me out sometimes! Having dinner almost sorted on busy workdays takes a load off my shoulders. I like cooking, but the last thing I want to do after a long day of work and kid-wrangling is figure out dinner, especially if my toddler is being extra picky and needs a separate meal.

One thing that’s super helpful for meal prepping is an app called Favoreats. It lets you browse recipes and adds the ingredients directly to your shopping list. You can even import recipes from Pinterest.

This app saves me at least another hour per week of scrolling the internet for recipes! And it probably saves me money compared to when I shop without a solid list. It’s a lifesaver.

Final Thoughts: Enjoy Your Work-From-Home Life

I know it sounds easier said than done, but this is how I actually get work done as a work-at-home mom! Some days are better than others, and don’t let anyone tell you they work all day every day with kids. But you can definitely pick up some habits like these to help you get more done during your workweek.