There’s a lot of pressure that follows moms these days.
Many moms are expected to quit their corporate careers to focus on being full-time homemakers, while others are expected to climb the corporate ladder while being rockstar mothers who are able to take their kids to school, drive them to ballet lessons, and still be able to cook a three-course dinner.
But being a successful stay-at-home mom doesn’t have to mean conforming to such high standards.
If being a great stay-at-home mom for you means staying on top of your kids’ schedules, supporting your spouse, while making time for your own goals and priorities, then that’s perfectly fine too.
And committing to being a stay-at-home mom who thrives can be a challenge. The answer? Living life with more purpose, productivity, and intention.
Keep reading because, here, I talk about some important productivity hacks you should know as a busy stay-at-home mom. Follow these 13 steps, and you’ll be on top of everything that truly matters to you.
Try these productivity hacks to thrive as a stay at home mom
Plan ahead
In psychology, researchers have observed the phenomenon that is decision fatigue, where one feels overwhelmed or unable to make even simple decisions, especially after a long day of making both conscious and unconscious ones.
It’s easy to fall into this problem. But one way to get ahead and prevent this from happening to you is by planning ahead of time.
Plan out family meals, drop off and pick ups for kids, and daily agendas – like fitness classes or dates with friends – you want to follow. Even planning your outfit for the next day can help you immensely. You might want to do all this the night before, so you wake up fresh and ready to go about the day.
Wake up before your kids do
There’s something about waking up earlier in the morning to get a headstart from everyone. One way to be a more productive stay-at-home mom is waking up ahead of your kids.
You can use the few quiet hours you have to prepare their lunches or to work on a personal project of yours. (Many famous writers, for example, were notoriously known for getting up early to do their writing rituals.)
Whatever you decide to use this newfound time for, just relish the quiet and start your mornings your way.
Create a daily agenda
As a stay-at-home mom, you need to stay on top of many responsibilities. From doing house work to errands outside, you might find yourself wanting to be in two places at once.
One way you can avoid feeling overwhelmed by your to-dos and commitments is by creating a detailed agenda.
To get started, consider blocking out non-negotiable tasks on your calendar, such as dropping off the kids at school or your weekly spin class. By putting things on your calendar daily, it’s easy to find pockets of free time where you can squeeze in other things you need to do.
Fill up time with a side hustle
According to Parkinson’s Law, “Work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion.” What this means is, if we tell ourselves we have five hours to clean the living room, we’re going to take all the five hours.
Sometimes we see that we don’t need to spend so much time on other things. By remembering Parkinson’s Law, we can fill up our time with more productive things. Many stay-at-homes opt to take on a side hustle such as freelance writing jobs to make better use of their time.
A side hustle can earn you extra income for a couple hours of work a day, plus you’re using your time for something that keeps you learning and inspired.
Dress up for the day
There’s power in dressing up for the day, even if all you plan to do is stay home.
When you show up and dress the way you want to feel, you feel more motivated and productive. It’s a simple habit to adopt, but it can create a powerful punch to your day.
Create a chore chart
As a stay-at-home mom, you don’t need to do all the tasks around the house. By a certain age, your kids can start contributing to household chores.
You can teach your toddlers how to put away toys or help in fixing their beds. Older kids can take on cleaning work like dishes or vacuuming floors.
This not only saves you time but also teaches kids responsibility – a big win for any busy mom who wants to raise their kids right.
Design a productive workspace
Whenever you sit down to do any administrative work, like finances or even family taxes, it helps to have a dedicated workspace for you to stay productive.
Set up even a small corner in your living room as a space only for doing productive work. You can even make it the workspace for any side hustle or hobbies you might have.
Have a morning and night routine
Remember when we mentioned decision fatigue earlier? Another way to avoid that while still being productive is by having a morning and night routine.
Treat these routines as something you do practically on autopilot from the moment you get up and then again when you’re about to head to bed.
Routines eliminate extra decision-making, and you can also create a combination of self-care and chores.
Ditch time-sucking apps
If you find yourself always checking your phone, Instagram, Candy Crush, or even email, it might be time to hit uninstall.
With so many apps created to be addictive, giving us infinite new information and stimuli, distractions are an obvious setback.
If you find yourself wasting more time than you’d like on certain apps, consider removing them from your phone completely.
Make time for rest
You’re a busy mom, but that doesn’t mean you can never rest. Schedule time to pamper yourself, even if it’s just to watch a few episodes of your favorite television show or to have a quiet night in with your spouse.
You need to rest if you want to be able to show up to your other responsibilities better. Take care of yourself, and you can take care of your priorities in ways you never expected.
Work on a hobby
Put a little fun into your day by putting time in for a hobby. Whether that’s reading or writing or making music, you can find so much purpose every day when you make time to do something you love.
Treat it as a reward for yourself for doing an otherwise unpleasant chore. Or use it as time to recharge before moving on to other tasks for the day.
Go outside
There are several health benefits to being around nature, even if for a little while. Whenever you can, make it a point to be around greenery.
If you’re going on a run, consider a route through the park. Or if you have a young child, you might even want to take them on afternoon picnics.
Use home workout videos
If you’re pressed for time and can never seem to head to the gym, why not use workout videos instead?
There are a myriad of fitness videos that are 10 to even an hour long, letting you save time from walking to a nearby gym or spending time in traffic.
You can even squeeze them in between other tasks, like doing a dance workout while waiting for something to finish cooking.
How will you thrive as a stay at home mom?
The most important thing you need to remember to thrive as a stay-at-home mom is to focus on your priorities. Don’t let other people’s expectations inform the habits and goals you want for your life. Once you know what you want to focus on, use these tips to stay productive every day and keep on top of all your priorities.