“Wherever you see a successful business, someone once made a courageous decision.” -Peter F. Drucker

If you have kids and they need your attention but you still want to continue to work, it is definitely a strong decision you make to work from home. But just because you are working from home, doesn’t mean that you have to spend 24 hours with your Children or be in the kitchen preparing meals or doing housekeeping of your home even though this is what people around you might be expecting. What it really means is, that you can have the flexibility to be able to balance your work as well as your Family life. You are still a working person, but at the same time, you are also playing a role of a mother.

It is also possible that you might not be able to attend all your children’s sports events, cultural events or PTA meetings. But this is what happens to even homemakers who are at home with their children all the time.

What is important for your children and family is your quality time rather than quantity time. Also feeling guilty that you are probably not spending enough time with them is not a good way to look at a situation. Rather a better way to handle this will be to give them your complete attention when you do.

Do you feel that you are like a juggler, who is juggling multiple roles in your life? Well, it can definitely be more challenging to maintain a balance all the time, every day of your life as a work from home mom. So, what are those tricks and tips that can help work from home moms create a happy environment for a family as well as be satisfied and contented with your work?

Here are some of the important top 5 tips that can help you be productive at your work, avoid procrastination, reduce stress and have the time to be all that you want to be!

1. Best Time for Different Activities
   1. There are various activities in a day that take your time. You might notice that when your kids are playing in the morning or having a breakfast, it is probably a good time for you to check your emails, Facebook, Whatsapp, social media, blogs, edit photos or even cook.
   2. In the afternoon when they are napping, you can probably get some time for yourself on light activities like looking up on Facebook or just take a well-deserved 30-minute nap! This is also a good time to respond to any important phone calls or emails.
   3. In the evening when it is dinner time and kids are very active playing or getting ready for dinner, you could do the cooking, household activities like cleaning the kitchen, laundry etc.
   4. After the kids go to sleep in the night, this can be your most productive time where you can actually do the important tasks that need your complete attention for e.g. reading, spending time on the computer, researching etc.

If you can do this, you will remove a lot of stress that comes on when you are unable to accomplish your tasks. You can also get enough time to do all that you wish to do in a day while being able to have time at hand for yourself and your family at the same time.

2. Separate your Work Space from Family Space

This may look not possible in the beginning or it may seem like how will it really work? But it is actually quite a useful trick in bringing a radical change in your work from home life. Do not keep your computer in the kitchen or dining table where you think you can manage your work and the housework at the same time. Separate your workspace from living area. Try to keep a separate space for your work in one corner of the house so that when you go there, you are away from your house activities and can spend quality work time on your desk. Similarly, when you come to the main living area, you are not thinking of work at all. This will give you a feeling of space in your life and remove a lot of stress.

3. Always keep a To-Do List

Use a diary which has time mentioned in daily pages. You can keep your daily tasks time-wise so that you don't miss out anything. Also, mention any other reminders for the week on that date or for next month or months on their respective dates. This ensures that you do not forget anything important and everything important gets done! Scratch out any activities that have gotten over or canceled to ensure your calendar is always updated and space is created for other tasks. You can also create your own deadlines and mark them in your calendar to ensure you don’t forget them. At the same time, be flexible. There will be times when your kids are a priority against your work and you might have to make a choice. Remember, it is completely all right if that happens and doesn't get worked up if something is not crossed in your list!

4. Let your Kids Be!

Many times we end up being not just a mother, but also an entertainer, a comedian for our kids. It is important that you spend time with your children but it is equally important that your kids also get their space to play by themselves and spend time doing things by themselves. It helps in creating more confidence and sense of independence in the children as they grow up. You don’t really to be with them all the time. When you need to do something important without any disturbance,  probably give them a cartoon film to watch or give them something creative to do which can engage them for some time.

5. Manage your mobile phone

In today’s world, a mobile phone can be a blessing as well as a menace especially if you have a strict schedule like yours. It may be a good idea for you to turn off any notifications on your phone which might distract your attention while you are working or continuing with your daily tasks. You can check these messages in a lighter mood either in the in the morning when the kids are having their meals or even in the afternoon when kids are napping.

Remember if you are happy, your work will be good and also your family environment will be good for your growing children.

Remember - “In the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years.” – Abraham Lincoln

It is important that you also choose your work option to do from home which balances your life as well. If you are really interested in knowing more about these options that can conveniently fit into your current life, look us up at www.ewomen.co