29 genius productivity hacks for work-at-home mums
Working from home is a dream scenario but with a myriad of distractions right in front of you, how do you stay focused on your tasks?
Although being in an office might be your idea of hell, it does help to focus your mind if you are in a place that is solely designated for you to work.
I have worked from home now for more than six years. In that time I have worked for a company and I have worked for myself.
I have worked with kids around, and I have worked in an empty house.
Let me tell you, that in all scenarios your need to have systems in place that help you to knuckle down and get things done.
The hardest scenario for work-at-home mums is having children to care for while you’re trying to work. You may need to get creative here, but it is totally possible to juggle your work tasks and having fun with your kids.
But in order to do that, you need to make the time that you do sit down to get on with some work 100 per cent worth it. It has to be constructive.
So these 29 genius productivity hacks are here to help you focus on work tasks and get stuff done quicker and with less stress.
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1. Get dressed
One of the perks of working from home is working in your PJs, right?
The trouble with that is it can actually slow your productivity. Get dressed for work, and your mindset switches into work mode. Dressed for bed, and your mindset is still in sleepy mode.
Using routines like you would on a work day where you work in an office is an important way of gearing your brain up for productivity.
You don’t have to put on your smartest outfit, but get yourself up, dressed, wash your face, eat a decent breakfast and put on clothes that make you feel good (probably not your ballgown though!).
2. Figure out your most productive time of day
We all work better at different times. Some people will thrive on a 5am wake-up call to get work done before the kids get up.
Others would hurl the alarm clock out of the window.
Figure out when your most productive time of day is, and concentrate all of your efforts on making that window as productive as possible.
3. Plan your to-do list the night before
Don’t just sit down at your desk and think “what now?”. Have a plan ahead of your working time so that you can get started immediately.
4. Do your most-hated task first
Is there something you will put off until the very end of the day? Stop putting it off and get it done first.
The relief of having the worst job done and out of the way will help motivate you to get your other tasks done.
Keep reminding yourself that once this task is over, I can move on to this task which I actually enjoy.
5. Turn off your phone
In fact turn off any devices that are going to distract you.
This includes the TV, because working with any ambient noise going on could tear your away from what you’re doing.
Allocate chunks of time where you can check your phone throughout the day.
6. Take breaks
If you have six hours to work, then great. But don’t expect to be productivity for six hours straight.
Be sure to programme in decent breaks so that you can get away from your screen and reset.
Switch off your brain and do something totally different. It’s especially important not to skip lunch, which can be very tempting to do when you’re in the zone of getting stuff done and the school run is looming to interrupt your flow.
7. Break down your big tasks
Instead of looking at one gigantic task as just one thing, break it down into smaller steps. Write those steps down and tick them off as you achieve them.
This way the overall task feels less daunting and you can see your progress as you go.
8. Have a work station
If you’re lucky enough to have an entire room in your home to designate as your office then that’s brilliant!
But you can still have a great work station even in just a small corner. This is my work station, created with a fab ladder desk in the corner of our room!
I’ve brightened it up with some prints and little decorative items.
However large or small your space is, try to keep it organised and uncluttered. Keep on top of your paperwork and use small boxes and box files to keep important paper and items in order.
9. Get a good planner
If you don’t have one already, then get one!
A planner is a master plan for your life! You should be able to keep all of your to-do lists and important dates there.
Keep on top of your weekly and monthly important dates and deadlines. Always look ahead to the next week and month to be sure you’re not forgetting an important date that’s coming up.
10. Turn off notifications
Do you get a ping every minute from an Instagram DM, new email or WhatsApp message?
Go into your app settings and turn off notifications on your computer and your phone.
You need effective chunks of focused time where you will not be distracted by other matters such as replying to a message.
11. Set yourself deadlines
You may have work deadlines, but it’s a good idea to set your own deadlines as well.
Give yourself a reasonable amount of time to get a task done, and tell yourself you absolutely must get it done before the time is up.
12. Batch your tasks
What do I mean by task batching? This method groups similar tasks together that require similar tools or processes.
By doing this you will limit the amount of crazy, dashing around from job to job without getting anything done and save time as well as distractions.
Task batching has been shown to help you work faster and save time. To organise your task batching, first write a full list of all the stuff you need to do.
Now group things together where they are similar. So for example, if you are a YouTuber you may choose to shoot all of your next week’s vlogs in one session rather than on separate days to save you getting all the equipment out again.
Once you have these separated into categories, then you can block off times in the day to focus on each area.
As part of this you could try using the Pomodoro Technique. To do this you:
- Choose a task
- Set a time for 25 minutes
- Focus on that task for the full 25 minutes
- Take a 5 minute break
- Repeat
13. Have sympathetic cheerleaders
When you work in an office there’s always someone to whinge at if you’re having a bad day, or go for lunch with if you need to step away from your screen.
One of the most important things you can do for your sanity, and productivity, as a work-at-home mum is find your tribe.
These are the people who are also trying to work from home, either in similar niches to your or under similar circumstances.
They understand your daily struggles and you can complain about your day to them.
These are also the people who will motivate you, or let you bounce ideas off of them, when you’re not quite sure what direction to go in.
You can find your tribe in Facebook groups related to your niche or by interacting in hashtags related to your business niche on Instagram.
14. Get more sleep
Sounds easy? But if you’re a night owl you may find it hard to switch off in the evenings.
You can make the most of the days if you have energy from a decent eight hours’ sleep.
Try winding down at night with a pillow spray and by reading a book, rather than spending too much time on a screen in the half hour before you switch off for sleep.
The NHS has some great tips for getting to sleep here.
15. Clean the house just once
When you’re at home all day it can be tempting to get stuck into chores you can see that need doing.
If you have kids with you too, then they’re likely to be messing the rooms up faster than you can tidy them.
Set just the one time of day when you focus on getting cleaning tasks done. Some days I will do this around bedtime, but others I do it first thing in the morning.
I much prefer starting the day with a tidy house than cleaning it halfway through the day. It just gets messed up again anyway.
16. Create a daily schedule
Think about how you’re going to schedule in your work time with the time that your kids need from you.
If your kids are in school, then focus all of your working time into when they’re in school, then plan time for family after you have picked them up.
If your kids are at home with you, it gets a little bit more complicated!
My advice is to try to squeeze in an hour of work in the morning, then take your child or children for an outing to do something they want.
After lunch, get something that will distract your child, there are a few tips for working with kids around including distraction tips here, so you can do some more work.
17. Be comfortable
If your working environment is too hot or too cold and your chair isn’t great for your back, you will find your concentration will be impacted.
Create a working environment that’s comfortable for you to sit in so that you can focus on the work and not on your discomfort.
18. Take a walk
A change of scene can refresh your brain and get you back to work with fresh enthusiasm.
Make time in your day to take a short walk. Exercise will do your body good and help your mind to reset.
19. Get the best tools
When you get time to work, you need to have the best tools to allow you to be efficient.
Get yourself set up with the right software and equipment that will help you do your tasks.
For example, in order to work on my blog wherever I need to sit in the house, I invested in a laptop. I’ve invested in software and apps that let me edit photos quicker for use.
Research what are the best tools that will help your productivity, within the limits of your budget of course. If they are out of your budget now then add them to your wishlist.
20. Block annoying noises
Is there a neighbour having work done to their home that involves power tools? Or a barking dog?
Whatever the noise that is distracting you, try blocking it out with either ear plugs or noise cancelling headphones.
Of course if you’re working with kids in the house you may not want to be unable to hear anything at all.
In this case, you need to get good at drowning out the background noise. This is something that can become easier over time.
21. Work in short bursts of time
Instead of trying to cram in a whole bunch of stuff in one chunk of time, break up the day into short bursts of time.
Try working for 60 minutes and then taking 10 minutes to do something away from your work station.
If you get some peace while your baby or toddler naps, then really knuckle down to work in that time so that you are not distracted by anything at all – not your phone, social media or TV.
22. Find ways to distract your kids
You cannot work and play with your kids at the same time. Well, you can try but you will not be productive.
Find clever ways to distract your children so that you do not have to deal with any requests for at least 30 minutes. Older children may be distracted for longer.
Options include:
- Lego-building challenge
- A movie
- Craft kits such as Baker Ross’ brilliant selection
23. Complete one task in full
Don’t split yourself between 10 different tasks at once. Us women may be amazing multi-taskers but working on a dozen things at once is a surefire way to get nothing finished quickly.
Focus on getting one task done at a time. Then you can check that one off your list completely and you can move on to the next thing.
This is also a little emotional win for you, as you can celebrate achieving this one task, which should motivate you forwards to the next task.
24. Be flexible with your working days
Can you get childcare on Sundays? If there’s a family member offering to help at weekends and you need to care for your kids the rest of the week, then switch your working days.
When you work for yourself, or from home, you need to be open to being flexible.
25. Try brain dumping
Feeling overwhelmed with all the things you have on your plate. Take time to just write them all down on one piece of paper.
Now get another piece of paper and list the things you need to get done by order of importance.
This should provide your mind with more focus. Remember, don’t focus on all the things at once, just the thing at the top of your list.
26. Stop procrastinating
Ever sit there just thinking about whether to do that job this way or that way? Stop. Just make a call one way or another.
Procrastination can be one of the biggest time sucks.
27. Start saying “no”
If you’re being asked to do things that will not benefit your business or your family, then why do them?
I frequently get asked to write blog reviews for no fee in exchange for gifted products.
Sometimes I will do this, because I know my kids will love playing with the particular toy I have been offered.
But I turn down tons of products, because the time I would spend on writing the content just isn’t worth it when there isn’t any pay for me.
Your time is valuable, so give it out wisely.
28. Co-ordinate with your partner
You’re in this together, so speak to your partner about sharing childcare duties to give you blocks of time where you can focus on work.
Me and my husband both work from home and it’s a constant juggle. We each tell the other when we have an important deadline and that takes priority over anything else so the other person steps up to take over looking after the kids.
29. Switch off
If you are running your own business or working from home for your employer then you may find it difficult to switch off.
There’s always just one more thing you could be doing, and if you’re a diligent employee or entrepreneur then you want to do your absolute best.
But giving your brain down time is really important. So have a set time when your work is done.
Now is the time to down tools, step away from your email and computer and leave social media for a while. Focus on family conversations, cooking or reading a book.
Final thoughts on productivity tips for work-at-home mums
These tips should help you to smash your work to-do list!
For me the most important productivity tip has been to have a great work station, it really makes all of the difference to have a zone that’s just for work.
But on the other hand, with the kids around all of the time I have had to be flexible. Some days I have to scrape by with less time, and so I need to focus more on the few tasks I can feasibly get done.
Happy working!
