Work at Home Hacks during Quarantine

Wellness Society
Apr 8, 2020
5 min read

Being afforded the autonomy and luxury of working from home is a gift. However, being forced to work from home during social distancing seems like a curse that many of us mompreneurs are trying to navigate. I have been working from home since 2014 when I resigned from my corporate career. Here are my top work from home hacks for moms that are new to this delicate game of balance.

In 2014, I gave up my corporate career as the Director of Marketing for our local Panera Bread franchise. It was a career that I loved and never thought I would leave. However, after having baby number 3, trying to be dedicated to my job and my family was too much of a struggle. I decided to go my own way...which lead me to starting a nonprofit and my consulting business working with clients from home.

I love working from home. It is a delicate balance of momming and working, but it has been totally awesome for me. I thrive off of a set calendar and schedule so without that I don't think that I could have ever pulled it off.

In 2018 I took on a marketing client, Nona Title and fell in love with the company, their culture and the entire team. After 2 years of working with them on some projects, I decided to go full time because I loved what I was doing so much. This was literally happening as COVID-19 was taking over the US.

Prior to quarantine, I worked from home most days, but spent some days out in the field meeting real estate agents and brokers and conducting trainings.

And I still have my consulting practice and work one on one with clients that need wellness coaching & consulting for them personally or for their mompreneur business. But I do this 100% remotely and online (continuing working from home) and I have a strict routine that I stick to when I am home working in order to get all the things done.

I always get asked how I do it, and before all the kids were home, it was definitely easier. BUT, I try to follow these 5 steps to keep the flow of the day smooth. Obviously, not everyday is perfect, but by having a guide, it is manageable.

Here are my work form home hacks:

Have a schedule and work in time blocks
Make a priority list
Keep household chores to a minimum during the day
Don't be a snack bitch
Plan your meals

Have a schedule

Probably the most important hack is having a schedule and time blocking. Why? By focusing on work in chunks of time, you can get more done. I like to wake up earlier than the kids so that I can get in me time and some work without any interruptions. Having time blocks let me be hyper focused on the task at hand. I swear I get way more work done from home than I ever did in my office.

Rejuvenate Block 30 minutes-1 hour

I start the day with my 20X3 Method which gets my energy flowing. I had to modify this to a 10X3 during social distancing because I need more time to get everyone situated in the mornings. This falls into a "Rejuvenate" Block of time. I am able to intentionally focus on self-care and then enjoy my coffee.

Focus Block 1-2 hours

This is after everyone has had breakfast and we get into school work and my work. The kids get situated and I can work on my priority list (more details below). I spend most of my "Focus" Block handling emails from clients, setting up new accounts etc. This is the time consuming and not really fun stuff, but I like to get it done early in the day.

Creative Block 1-2 hours

During the "Creative" Block the kids are doing basically whatever...playing, play-doh, kinetic sand, legos, puzzles, art projects, playing outside...I don't care as long as they are doing something! This is when I can create content, edit images, schedule content and do the "fun" things.

Social Block 1-2 hours

In the early afternoon, I try to get the little one down for a nap. This is after lunch and after the big kids have had some down time. I choose to call clients, host most zoom meetings and teach classes during the "Social" Block. The kids use this time to read and then play video games, watch tv, or go outside.

Once 4 or 5 o'clock rolls around I am spent! I start dinner, go outside with the kids, do some Yoga, answer more emails and chill. This time blocking does not happen in that order every day and sometimes the amount of time varies....and occasionally another block gets added or one gets taken away, BUT the point is that there is a schedule and a guide for the flow of the day. It makes it so much easier than winging it and flying by the seat of my pants. Granted, we are trying to stay SANE and roll with the punches while we are navigating this "new" normal.

Make a Priority List

Everyday have a list of the things that MUST get done. No questions asked, these things need to get crossed off the list. Don't over do it and make a list of 15 things, keep it simple and stick to the important things.

An example of my list:

pay bills
set up new agents
CRM entry
Facebook ads
follow up/touch base
create social media content
schedule posts

Keep household chores to a minimum during the day

I know it is tempting to do all the things, but trust me when I say that it is not worth it. It gets distracting and causes more stress. Start a load of laundry when you wake up and change it during lunch. Do the dishes right when everyone is done with lunch. Take the laundry out after dinner. Try to keep the focus and not stop working to do chores in between. Be strategic when doing them and they won't cause a distraction or get forgotten.

And I feel you....laundry and dishes are endless, but it can be manageable.

Plan Your Meals

This is as important as having a schedule. If you plan your meals, you not only save time, but you save money. Everyone will know the plan and you can prep ahead of time to make it even easier.

When the questions comes up, "MOM, what's for lunch?", you'll have a quick reply with NO stress! Even if you just plan the daily meals and not the week, it is a big step towards making all this easier.