Working from home has undoubtedly been the new norm since the Covid-19 pandemic hit every corner the world. At first, it looked like we would never get used to working, resting, and playing under the same roof, but that was not the case. It was just a matter of time before everyone got accustomed to the new norm and was able to move on with their lives. Except a group of people called MOMS.

Based on conventional perception, Moms are tasked with helping every family member strike a balance in their lives but don’t often get someone to do the same for them. This often makes being a working mom in the pandemic look like they’re running in circles without knowing how and when to stop. The struggle is real!

As a working mom during the pandemic, your life has always been about juggling simultaneously between multiple roles. One minute, you are putting the children to bed, and the next, you are clicking away on your laptop on the kitchen table while making breakfast. When you are not picking up Lego in the living room, you worry about cleaning up the mess around the house or doing laundry.

With these multiple tasks, lockdown for you as a mom has been overwhelming. And balancing work and family without losing your sanity has become so daunting.

You are not wrong trying to be the best mom to your spouse and children, even if it means putting your life, career, and work on the line. But does it really have to get to that extent? No, and it shouldn’t come at the cost of your own health and sanity.

So, we’ve compiled 5 practical tips to help you balance work and family without going to bed every night depressed, angry, stressed, and with aches in every part of your body.

5 Practical Tips to Help you Balance Work and Family

1. Set Boundaries

As a mom who wants to balance work at home and family, it would be best for you to establish a daily routine that clearly states your workday’s start and endpoint. Setting up a daily work routine means that you won’t be attending to one last report, opening just one more mail, or taking an unprecedented task once your work hour ends.

Setting boundaries and having a weekly work hour schedule is one of the quickest fixes to balancing your work and family life. Although, sticking to a strict work routine for weeks and even months to come may seem uneasy. But, the results should get you motivated to keep going for as long as you need to.

Now, your boss or clients will know not to ask you to take an assignment or order after work hours. Your family will become less intrusive since they know you have a routine that also has them included. Honestly, doing extra while working from home is just so inevitable. But, by setting boundaries for yourself, family, and work, you will always have enough time to balance each side, keep everyone happy, and improve productivity at work and in your responsibility as a mom.

2.  Define Your Workspace

Working from home has made it almost impossible to have a designated area just for work. A space where you can put your creativity, problem-solving skills, and brainpower to use. Working from home comes with a lot of flexibility that can mar your success at balancing work and family life.

Not defining a workspace means that you can work almost anywhere around the house, from the bedroom to kitchen, living room, etc. Carrying your work everywhere around the home simply means that you will likely be doing more work than you imagined.

It is crucial to set aside a conducive space for work. It doesn’t have to be a specially built room or office. An ergonomically-designed desk that lets you adjust between standing and sitting positions is ideal. Not defining a workspace that is free from any form of distraction will make getting jobs done on time a lot difficult. If you can’t get designated tasks done when due, you’ll need to spend extra time working. And that means less time for family and relaxation. 

3. Ask for Help

Though often difficult, please do not try to be a supermom who can do everything around the house alone without asking for help from anyone. You don’t need to be everything to everyone at all times – it’s impossible, and will lead to burnout.

Do you have family, friends or even neighbors that could help? Buy yourself some time by asking if your children can hang out, or play with their kids for an hour or two outside while you get things done. This will, of course, depend on where you live, and the public health restrictions for that area. If restrictions aren’t as severe where you live, make sure your safe “bubble” doesn’t have contact with a lot of others. Make sure they’ve been faithful with adhering strictly to the pandemic safety guidelines.

If you have older children, engage them around the house. Ask them pack to their toys after play, tidy up their rooms, and prepare their own snacks. Older siblings can look after younger ones – it’s also great babysitting experience. You’d be surprised at how well children love to take up responsibilities and do them even beyond expectations.

The bottom line is that you’ll achieve more balance in your work and family life if you can engage all family members to help with chores around the house.  

4. Make Weekends Count

So you’ve worked five days a week, and hard! You don’t want to ruin your weekend with that unannounced buzz on your work cell phone. If you can’t do away with being tempted to grab your mobile and have a glance at what’s going on in your email inbox or social media, it may be best for you to turn your gadgets off completely and keep them out of sight.

If you haven’t already, make it a point to start treating weekends differently and make them fun by enjoying quality time with your family. Weekends don’t come often, but if well-planned, they can be a perfect getaway from workday woes, and help strengthen your family life. It’s about balancing work and family, remember? Never take your work into your weekends. It just has a way of ruining everything!

5. Reflect 

Is your working from home creating problems in your relationship? What are the possible consequences if you don’t maintain a healthy work/family life? What will your life be if you continue to do what you are doing now for the next six months, or even a year? Do you need to prioritize your relationships more?

You need to be clear on why you need to balance work and family life in the first place. This will help you establish a purpose and direct the ideas we have shared with you in this post to achieve precisely what you are aiming for.

 

Learning to adjust can take a while, but incorporating these practical tips into your daily life could be the only thing you need to start having a happy family while also being productive at work.

 

mom working alongside daughter

 

Author

Maria Lianos-Carbone is the author of “Oh Baby! A Mom’s Self-Care Survival Guide for the First Year”, and publisher of amotherworld.com, a leading lifestyle blog for women.

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