Productivity versus the perils of working from home

When I’m not blogging, you can find me hard at work writing or editing copy for clients.

Juggling parenthood with a full-time job is certainly no easy feat – but somehow in just eight hours each day I manage to get it all done!

For four of those hours my attention shifts away from the office life and towards nursery drop offs and pick ups while entertaining my four year old daughter’s never ending enthusiasm.

Getting creative has become second nature; some days she even joins in on the fun by singing Disney classics with her beloved characters as we both type happy stories together – how could that be anything less than ideal?!

With three active kids and a hectic daily schedule, it can be hard for parents to find time for productivity. However, between 8pm and 12am – when the children are all sound asleep in bed – I make sure to maximize those four hours!

My key advice?

Be strategic with your time management so you can work effectively even amidst everyday chaos.

1. Do you rise with the sun or stay up late into the night? Identifying when it’s your most productive time can be key to achieving focused tasks. For me, mornings are my best bet for getting a jump on things and checking off items from my ‘To Do’ list. I save evenings as wind-down times to reflect and review projects before bedtime—putting in that extra effort helps ensure success!

2. Establishing a reliable routine can be the key to increasing productivity! I’ve found that when my toddler is at nursery, it’s an ideal time for me to dive into creative projects without interruption. In the afternoon, once she’s home again – while still optimizing quality family time – I use her presence as motivation to tackle social media and blog marketing tasks.

3. Have a strict schedule for telephone calls/meetings, etc: As a strong believer in scheduled calls, I always make sure that each client has their own tailored meeting time. This ensures they get the very best of me during our conversations. But if an unscheduled call comes through unexpectedly then my clients can be reassured that it will still receive professional attention – this is thanks to alldayPA who provide virtual reception services and answer any incoming messages promptly!

4. Remain focused, be disciplined– it’s easy for distractions to knock you off your routine. Establish a set time during the day so you can enjoy catching up on all those emails and social media posts without compromising productivity.

5. Don’t multi-task: Juggling multiple tasks can seem like the best way to get everything done – and let’s face it, aren’t mums expected to be masters of multi-tasking? Unfortunately however, research has proven that attempting too many things at once isn’t just counter productive; it affects both your productivity levels as well as your work quality. From personal experience I know this is true – burnt saucepans are living proof!

Navigating work and family life can be stressful, but home-working offers a great opportunity to manage the balance.

To make sure you maximize your productivity while working remotely, our top tips include having clear goals for what needs to get done each day, creating dedicated workspace environments with minimal distractions and setting boundaries between ‘work’ hours and relaxation time – all essential tools for maximizing efficiency!