10 Essential things you MUST do to thrive as a work at home parent!
As a work at home parent for the last 7 years I feel like I have a little
experience in the topic. I'm going to share with you the 10 things that I've had to do (and change) through the years to actually THRIVE as a work at home parent and not just survive! 1. Get up BEFORE the children! This is the most CRUCIAL thing because it's not easy, actually it's impossible, to get things done when you have children coming up to you every 5 seconds asking for a drink or asking you to change the movie or all the other things they constantly ask for when we have stuff to do! (Even if the other parent is at the other side of the room... ) Getting up before the children allows you time to be alone, set your focus for the day, and get stuff done! I was getting up at 6:30 am every morning to get our oldest up and ready for the bus and then I was frustrated because I couldn't get anything done because the 3 year old and 1 year old demanded so much of my attention (of course they would because they are just babies) So, the ONLY solution to that problem was getting out of bed before them! Over the last couple weeks I have gotten up at 4:30 am and I can't even begin to tell you all the amazing things that are happening. Just a hint... I just created my first course... 2. Adjust your mindset! One of the first things I do every morning when I get up is write in my Start Today journal! There's 5 things I'm thankful for, 10 dreams I HAVE accomplished, and 1 goal to achieve that will help me make these dreams come true! Rachel Hollis is a true inspiration and if you haven't heard of her yet you should definitely go look her up! This journal gets my mind on the right track and sets the tone for the day! I get into the positive path right away and get going! We have to keep our positive thoughts flowing throughout the day so we don't detour down the negative path! One way I keep myself on the positive path is by using affirmations! You can read about those over here! 3. Set your working hours! This is important because children. It's impossible to get things done with children around. So, set your working hours! What do I mean by working hours? Working hours are times that you will be able to sit down for a COUPLE hours to get things done! Not a few minutes, not a few seconds, but HOURS that you can work hard and get the most done!
My working hours are from 4:30 am to 6:30 am when I get our oldest up and ready for school. I stop working until around 8 am when the other two boys get up and I give them their breakfast and go back to work until 9;30 or 10 depending on how well they're doing. I stop working and play with the kids for a while. Around 11:15 am I make lunch and get them fed. Sometimes I work while their eating and other times I'll eat while they're eating! 2 pm is nap time and I can usually work for around 2-3 hours at this point. I shut down around 3:45 or 4 pm when the oldest gets back from school. I make supper and enjoy my time with the kids until they have to go to bed. Then depending on how much I got done and what the husband has planned for the night I'll either work until 10 pm or play board games with my husband! That's MY typical work day and I wouldn't want it any other way! I get the best of all the worlds! 4. Take care of yourself!
Sometimes we get so caught up in our work that we forget to take care of ourselves! I know I've worked for hours at a time without realizing it and when I go to stand up my back hurts, my legs are asleep, and it's almost impossible to walk! Make sure you're drinking water, stretching every hour, and taking breaks throughout the day! I know you've got stuff to get done, but if you don't take care of yourself you won't be healthy enough to get those things done!
5. Use TO DO lists and calendars! I have 3 notebooks that I use to write things down and I almost always write everything down because I have mom brain. The minute a thought comes into my mind it'll disappear and I won't be able to think of it again! So, if I have it on paper I won't be able to forget it. Same thing with dates and events. If it doesn't go in my calendar when I find out about it then it usually doesn't happen...
6. Have multiple working areas.
I know this sounds counter productive, but stay with me. I have 3 places that I can work: at our coffee table, at my desk in the living room, and at my desk out in the kitchen.
My coffee table work space is right beside the kids' bedroom or playroom so on the days that I need to get a lot done I can still see what they're doing and keep them safe.
My living room work space is for the days I'm not as busy, but still want to be able to work while being with my family. I use this space the most because I chose working at home to spend time with my family.
My kitchen work space is in a secluded area so I can get quite a bit done in less time. I don't use this space often because it brings negative lonely thoughts to mind and that's not something I want in my life.
7. Find all the free resources! If you're not looking for ways to improve in life then you're doing yourself a disservice. When we stop learning we stop our potential! There are many free resources online that you can use to increase your knowledge! There are MANY bloggers out there that offer free learning resources through their experiences. As of right now I'm just a beginner and my resources aren't many, but I promise you I will provide all the things that I can because I LOVE helping others, especially other moms! Grab my FIRST free resource here! 8. Get out of the house and away from the kids sometimes!
There aren't many days that I leave my house because I'm so comfortable here! I don't have to get dressed up and I don't have to rely on anyone else to watch my kids. Luckily, my husband gets laid off during the winter so I don't have to worry about that second part through the winter and I'll be getting out often. It's essential for our sanity to have time for ourselves and time to just shut down! The direct sales company I chose allows me to escape from the house any time I want because I can make money while escaping! It also allows me to go away or travel for week long training events to add to my knowledge! If you're with a company that offers training or meetings I suggest that you go to ALL. THE. THINGS. so you can keep your sanity.
9. Find your passion. It took me a while to find my passion, but I just kept searching until I found what I loved to do! Turns out I love helping other women live their best lives! If you're not passionate about something you'll just keep doing circles in life trying to get new results with the same darn things. Your passion will allow you to try new things because you'll WANT to progress. You'll be excited and maybe become a morning person... Finally.
10. Get out of your comfort zone.
Leaving my house and children is WAY out of my comfort zone, but nothing ever happens when we STAY in our comfort zones! Once I got out of my comfort zone the magic happened. Here I am writing my 7th? blog post, I've created my first course, I am a morning person, and I could keep going all day because amazing things are happening, but you get the point. Get. Out. Of. Your. Comfort. Zone. You can learn HOW to get out of your comfort zone here!
Let's sum it all up! The 10 Essentials to THRIVE as a work at home parent!
1. Get up BEFORE the children!
2. Adjust your mindset!
3. Set your working hours!
4. Take care of yourself!
5. Use TO DO lists and calendars!
6. Have multiple working areas.
7. Find all the free resources!
8. Get out of the house and away from the kids sometimes!
9. Find your passion.
10. Get out of your comfort zone.
Thank you for reading! I hope that you'll share with a friend!