7 Motivation Hacks for Mom’s Working from Home

March 13^th marks the one-year anniversary of my exclusively working from home. I’ve had a flexible schedule for many years and feel fortunate that my role as CFO does not require me to be in the office five days a week. I used to spend my flex days working in a coffee shop or spread out on my kitchen table. Now that I remote work exclusively from home, and co-share my space with my teenage daughter, I’ve instituted a few hacks to make this phase a success for both of us.

1. Be kind to yourself.

Working from home with your kids in the house is stressful.  Try your best to create schedules and systems that work for everyone. Be kind to yourself and be flexible. Remember, you are not alone!

2. Designate a workspace.

Creating your own workspace or home office is vital when working from home. Having a designated workspace helps maintain normalcy along with creating a strict divide between your work life and our home life.

For moms with kids online schooling, creating dedicated school space for the kids is just as vital.  This dedicated school space lends more structure and allows them to be more productive. 

3. Create time for yourself.

Many working mothers carve out personal time somewhere between home and work.  I carved private time during my weekly commute from Los Angeles to New Mexico, an exhausting routine with the upside of having time to myself.

Time set aside just for you is crucial to avoid burnout, and you deserve it!  It can be as little as five minutes a day, create a ritual and make it yours.

If you don’t know where to start, try one of these

• Morning meditation
• Make a nutritious breakfast
• Teatime
• 7-minute workout
• Get outside – take a walk, listen to the birds
• Journal – make your gratitude list
• Skincare ritual
• Improve sleep with an end of the day stretching routine

4. Set work boundaries.

There are a lot of perks to working at home. To stay focused and happy, institute home office rules and routines.

• Set your hours. Now that you are working remotely, you have the flexibility to get your work done at your own pace. Set your hours and stick to them, otherwise, it’s too easy for your work to bleed into your home life.
• Take your days off seriously. Find at least one day a week where you unplug from work completely.  Don’t answer emails, don’t check-in, and don’t walk by your home office space.
• Take lunch breaks with your kids. Leave your phone at your dedicated workspace, this is your time. Enjoy something healthy with a side of laughter.
• Get dressed for work. I’m not talking a business suit but it’s important to prepare your body and mind for work and one way to do that is to dress the part.

5. Take breaks and move!

Breaks and moving your body is important for your productivity, energy, focus, sleep, creativity and so much more.  Your kids need breaks too so schedule your breaks around their schedule. Do something different than work or school.  

Make it’s something you enjoy! 

• 10-minute dance party
• Deep breathing and meditation help your body relax and clear your brain
• Get out of the house
• Daydream and give your brain free roam to stretch, share your thoughts
• Pillow fight
• Laugh

Try not to

• Make it a coffee break
• Mindless snacking
• Online shopping
• Social Media

6. Avoid distractions & procrastination.

It’s hard enough when you are at the office but at home surrounded by daily household tasks and your kids begging for attention, avoiding distractions is next to impossible.

To be most productive, I identify my number one priority each day and get it done before my daughter wakes up. If the mornings don’t work, wait until they go to bed or when your spouse or caretaker is available.  The important thing is to complete one priority per day. Fill the rest of your day with less important to-do tasks and don’t feel stressed when your day is derailed by a household emergency.

7. Get support.

Our private lives and the business world have one thing in common: they are both becoming more and more complex and require more and more skills in order not to lose one’s head in the face of all these demands. Find an online community of women who share your challenges personally and professionally. Make sure it’s a group that feels safe and offers you the opportunity to voice your concerns.

If you are an entrepreneur or CEO consider joining the Count Me In Revival Community subscription. Within our community of female business owners, you stop feeling alone and isolated, and receive support from coaches, experts, and peers!

Keep looking until you find the right fit. Whichever group you join, it’s important to be heard, be seen, and to know you are not alone.