I’m sure that mothers everywhere can appreciate the amount of work that goes into being a ‘mom’. The washing, the cleaning, the meals, the fights you have to break up; it truly never ends. As an attachment parent, you may feel you never have any time for yourself to get things done.
The fact is, there are hacks to squeeze out a lot more time in your daily life for yourself than you may think, Here are 6 ways to help you improve your productivity at home.
1) Have a backup plan for everything
Things go awry. That’s life. I have learnt to accept it and plan for the numerous eventualities. Doing the same will help you to be a lot happier and much more productive on a day to day basis. Take advantage of the good days; cooking extra food and placing it in the fridge, organizing that stack of letters and doing a ‘big’ shop for the month. This will help you to plan for the ‘bad’ days, when you or the kids are sick or you have a stack of work to do.
2) Be organized
There have been numerous occasions where I have had to multitask; feeding the baby as I help his sister with homework and cook dinner. The key here is balance, don’t let this become the norm, or situations will overwhelm you.. It’s important to make sure that you keep this balance by being organized. This is because, according to the American Psychological Association, multitasking can actually hurt your productivity. Plan ahead and try to limit the tasks that you do at the same time.
3) Be realistic
I’ve learnt to stop overestimating my abilities and you need to do the same. You’re human, you will make mistakes and you won’t be able to stay up all night with a sick baby and run around shopping the next day. Manage your expectations, you don’t want to be part of the American population that overestimates their productivity by 11%. It’ll only work against you, keep your standards realistic.
4) Focus on your mood and being productive
Studies have shown that being happy improves your productivity. This is something that you need to keep in mind. Taking a step back and focusing on what’s good in your life every now and then is incredibly important. I’ve had to take stop and look around, reminding myself that I have gorgeous children and a tidy-ish house, what more could I want? This is something that you should do to!
If you have a work from home job, that’s great too. Don’t feel bad for not going into the office, working from home is proving to be much more productive. The key is to make sure you’re sitting on a ergonomically optimized chair, and that your workspace is free from clutter and distractions. Your mobile phone is the #1 culprit according to many studies.
If you don’t work, if doesn’t matter. Cherish the time you have with your kids, they won’t be young forever!
5) Accept that children have an effect
In life, acceptance can be everything. Accepting that your children will take up time will allow you to plan around them. Accepting that you won’t be able to do things exactly the way you’d like will mean you’ll be happier. When I feel like things are getting to be too much, I take a deep breath and step away from the situation. Sitting down with the kids to play helps. They make me laugh, and remind me why I chose this life. In the end, I can walk away with a lighter heart and a lot more drive.
6) Carve out a little bit of time for yourself.
According to the New York Times, relaxing in the day really does have an effect of your productivity- it increases it.
So while the kids will take up your time, demanding attention and food every couple of minutes, you need to carve out a little time for yourself. You don’t need to do something extravagant, make time for something small. Put your feet up, allow your body to relax and congratulate yourself for a job well done. Try to keep an hour to yourself in the evening, after the kids are asleep. I try to sit back, watch a movie and plan for the next day. In the end that little bit of time will help you get through the coming hurdles.
In the end, the ways to improve your productivity don’t involve grand plans. You just need to follow simple steps that are aimed at helping you cope with life.
