Boris has told us we can’t go outside again, this means that for many of us the children are back at home and many mums are now having to work from home. This can be both a blessing and a curse but hopefully with some intentionality and preparation it can be the former. Below are some tips that mums can use to effectively work from home.
1. Organisation
Now more than ever it’s important to remain organised, the lines between work and home have been blurred, and it can be very easy for work to encroach on to family and relaxation time. Your trusted calendar is going to be even more important than it has been in the past and if you don’t already use one now is a good time to start. A good calendar will allow you to be intentional about how you spend the day and also make sure that important tasks, meetings and events are not missed.
With the house being full throughout the day, quiet time before the kids wake up or after they go to bed is essential, you can use this time to get chores done or extra work, because as mum when the kids are around it’s very likely they are going to require your attention so having some me time should be a priority. Having a good morning routine that builds momentum for the day, is also very important, it puts you in the best place to achieve all of your objectives for the day.
2. Boundaries for Working
Working from home can be great, the commute time is cut out, you get to spend more time with the children and get to be in the comfort of your own home. It can also have negative aspects, such as the work day being extended. It’s therefore important to have a clearly defined start time and end time and respect this boundary. You can also sync your working time around the children and when they’re doing their school work, you can also use this time to work. The adults in the house can take turns watching the kids, so when one parent is engaged the other is on hand. It might be an idea to set up cues so your family knows not to disturb you at certain times for example, if your noise cancelling headphones are on, everyone in the house knows unless it’s urgent mummy shouldn’t be disturbed.
3. Workspace
How you maintain your workspace in itself will be very important, have a clearly defined separate space to work and relax, within that workspace. Reduce any resistance you may feel to working by limiting distractions and by reducing clutter, making sure your environment is clean and making sure you have everything you need on hand to complete work. Restrict unnecessary phone calls and emails, you can even turn off the notifications on your phone so you’re not distracted unnecessarily. Break down tasks into smaller chunks and just focus on one aspect of the task at a time.
4. Batching similar tasks together
One way to help with effectively getting through your work is to batch similar tasks together, this means you can take advantage of the ‘flow state’ that you are already in. The flow state is ‘the mental state in which a person performing some activity is fully immersed in a feeling of energized focus, full involvement, and enjoyment in the process of the activity.’ Calculating numbers is a different skill to cleaning the bathroom, your brain has to adjust to a completely different task and this can take time, it’s more efficient to get similar tasks done together. You are taking advantage of the fact that your mind was already primed to do the task by the previous activity.
5. Health
Now more than ever, it’s essential you take care of your physical and emotional well-being, stress levels in the world are already heightened because of the pandemic, so you must pay attention to what your body is saying. Don’t forget to exercise and have your quiet time either before the kids wake up in the morning or after they go to bed. If you need help ask!!!! Your bubble can lighten the load by helping with household tasks and chores. Don’t take work to bed with you, answering one email could end up being hours of work.
6. Family
I think it’s a good idea to have a designated family time as often as possible, this could mean a time when you all engage in a designated activity such as watching TV together or even something as simple as having dinner together. Time away from work with the people you love will rejuvenate you and mean that you are well rested.
7. Break up the Day
Don’t spend all day in one place doing the same task, mix it up, change the task you’re working on, change where you work, having a solid routine doesn’t mean you can’t change things around. Make time for the activities you enjoy, learn a new skill, read a book, watch a film. Make a list of all the things you enjoy but feel like you never have the opportunity to do, and periodically insert them into your calendar, this gives you a good novelty that you can look forward to and leave you rejuvenated and refreshed ready to take on work again.
Working from home is going to be around for a while yet, so it’s important that you are creating the right environment for yourself to be healthy and productive, whilst we navigate this pandemic. These are just a few suggestions to get you thinking but there is much more you can implement, take it one day at a time and remember progression is more important than perfection.
Happy Working!
Samuel Adu-Gyamfi is the CEO and founder of Sam Tutoring, a tutoring service and consultancy in London he founded a decade ago.
Sam Tutoring provides private one to one tuition along with group and online tuition for families in Central London and internationally, as well as tailor made services for schools.
Working with students from the ages of 7-18 we provide academic support and mentorship.
Email info@samtutoring.london, to book a consultation or visit www.samtutoring.london to see how we can help your child succeed. Read more tips by Sam tutoring here.
