Work from home is my reality.
I always consider it a privilege to work from my couch. Often with a laptop in my lap and a cat near me. I am also fortunate to have a spouse who works remotely and the background noise of three giggles from my girls.
When Cecilia, my firstborn, was little, I scheduled my work around nap times. Now she can babysit the sisters.
There’s so much goodness in our days, but also working from home taught me a lot about finding a rhythm when around me it’s not quiet.
In light of everything that’s going on in our world, here are my tips as a work-from-home mom.
1. Resilience
I have the opportunity just to get work done as efficiently as possible with any amount of time I’ve been given.
I work from 5:30 am to 7 am because I don’t know if I will have 1 or 2 hours for quiet working when my girls are playing.
I don’t have a lot of time to sit and sip coffee and journal, and that’s okay.
2. Presence
When I’m doing my mom-work, my brain is on my girls, and when I’m working, my mind is on my brand.
My tips are:
1) leaving my phone behind when I’m laying on the floor playing with my girls;
2) resisting the urge to run whenever I hear a fight from the other room when I am working.
3. Say no!
Being a mama has made me get good at saying “no” firmly and confidently.
As a work-from-home mama, I realize that almost everything is negotiable.
And yes, you can say “yes” when it felt right.
4. Boundaries
I’ve learned the demands of being a work-from-home mama and acknowledge that some things are simply out of our control.
I need to work with what I’ve got and prioritized the things that are most important to me.
Get on with doing the best you can with what you’ve got.
While some days I find myself dreaming of that office full of light, yarn, and quiet to get focused work done, the real truth is I wouldn’t trade.
How lucky am I to get to do the work I love while being with the people I love?
Also, being a work-from-home mom is how I show to my children that they can do both things, be a mama and be a boss, and that sure is worth it.