You might have worked from Home at some point of your life. However, work from Home for the whole month is something that you might have never imagined.
But here you are, amidst the Coronavirus outbreak, handling everything from home. However, working from home is difficult – especially when you are a working mother who has got a lot on her plate. Not only you have to manage the household and take care of kids, but you also have to complete the given tasks in time and ensure the productivity doesn’t go down. So, How to ensure you don’t lose your cool while handling all these things at the same time?
Well, here are a few tips that might help all working women get through the tough Coronavirus lock-down times:
1. Create schedule blocks
The best way to get things done if you are mother who is working from home is to make sure you create schedule blocks for everything. You should assign a time block for everything: A time block for preparing breakfast, a time block for spending time with kids, a time block for your work, and a time block for getting relaxed. This way you will remain disciplined and everything will go as per the plan.
Note: Don’t mix your time blocks. For example don’t try to work and take care of kids at the same time because this way you can’t do either. Instead, make sure you are spending time with your kids fully when you are with them and devoting yourself to work completely when its the time to work.
2. Be a pro in time-management
This is an important prerequisite if you want to work from Home and ensure your productivity doesn’t go down. However, as Shubhra Bhugra, the Sr. HR Executive at Softobiz says:
“Managing time with kids is like working in chunks.”
Also, you can’t really work when kids are around because they will not let you. So, you have to know which way things work best for you. For example, Shubhra says she can work better when her baby is taking a nap. So, she logs in early in the morning and works late sometimes when the baby goes to sleep. In the similar way, you can also figure out a timing which is suitable for you.
However, things can be different when your kid is not a baby but a school-going kid. In that case, it’s important to set some boundaries and tell your kids not to disturb you when you are working. This way you can get the maximum results.
Note: Keep all important meetings and calls at the time when your kids are taking a nap. You would definitely not want them crying in the background or making noise when you are discussing something important.
3. Communicate your worries
Working from home with kids is stressful. You have a lot in your plate. You are juggling through many things. So, there will be times when you might feel exhausted and all that frustration might build inside you. So, talk to your partner, a family member, or a coworker and let it out. Not only doing so will make you feel better, but all these people will also support you.
Also, if you have kids of an age when they can understand, talk to them. Let them know how important is this job for you. Tell them that you have to take this call and will spend time with them once you are back. If you convey your worries, they will understand. So, do more communication.
4. Exercise or meditate
Like we earlier said, working from home is exhausting. It will take a toll on you and leave you tired and frustrated. Also, with increasing workload and time mismanagement will also cause a lot of stress. To handle this level of pressure, you will need both mental and physical strength.
So, exercise daily to keep yourself in shape. Turn to yoga and meditation for focus and relaxation. Take a hot shower. Enjoy your favorite music with a cup of coffee. The idea is to keep you healthy and never let the frustration build up.
In Simple Words
The times are tough but they are also teaching us to become better. While work from home is the best thing we can do to fight Coronavirus outbreak, we also know how tough it can get for you as a working mother. But these tips will definitely help you a lot. In the end, stay strong and deal with this situation in a smart way.
To all the men reading this blog:
Share with your wife, friend, or a female family member who is working from home and managing kids at the same time. This is the best thing we can do for them at this moment.
