Simple Tips For Green Work At Home Moms

Tips to help you get it all done

Being a working mom can be stressful at times, and working from home adds its own benefits and challenges. Add your effort to be more environmentally-friendly, and that can complicate some things. Working, cleaning, managing employees and children (and spouse) takes time to get used to when you’re based out of home; here are some tips that have helped me out.

1. Set Boundaries

One of the biggest challenges I had working from home was setting appropriate boundaries. Setting up a space that is strictly for work is important to help you focus, and also physically keep distractions from you. This also allows you to be truly at home when you’re out of your work environment, so you can focus on tasks there. Do yourself a favor when you’re done working, and turn everything work-related off. Not only does this save energy, but it keeps your attention where it should be.

2. Combine Tasks

There is never enough time in the day, which is why task-combining is essential. When you’re finished with your job and you are feeding the kids a snack, use that time to load the dishwasher. When you’re bathing your younger children, use that time to clean the bathroom (with natural cleaners to avoid fumes), and when it’s bed time, start a load of laundry before putting your kids down so it’s ready to be dried when you’re done. Also, start the dishwasher right before bed, this ensures that it is its fullest and therefore most efficient, and has time to air dry before you wake up in the morning.

3. Be portable

In general, it’s important to have a separate workspace in your home so you can mentally disconnect yourself from dirty laundry, messy rooms, dinners, and other things on your home “to-do” list. It’s also important that when you’re with your family, you’re devoted 100 percent to them. However there are times when it’s important to be out where the kids are, or that you can go to the dentist and still do work while you’re in the waiting room. Consider investing in a new ultrabook Intel developed to be light, portable, super powerful, and energy efficient.

4. Spread the Workload

Your time is precious; you have 25 hours’ worth of things to do every day, and only 24 hours to do them. Spread the workload to your spouse and children. Don’t wait until your children are older to start giving them chores, start early with things they can do, like cleaning up toys, putting dishes away, making their beds, etc. That was as they grow up they know that helping out around the house is not only expected, but rewarding in giving them a sense of contribution to the household. Chores can be a great opportunity to teach about efficiency, using natural products, and generally a great bonding time for mother and child.

5. Say No

One of the most difficult things to learn to do as a work at home mother is to say no. There will always be activities and tasks and extra-curricular events that will vie for your attention and time. Many of them you should take advantage of, but there are some times where you will just have to say no, and you shouldn’t feel bad. If you have sick children and a full workload, you don’t have to plan the big family gathering, let someone else take the load, and help out next time.

Patricia Shuler is a BBGeeks.com staff writer from Oakland, California. She’s an admitted tech-junkie who’s quick to share her honest opinion on all things consumer electronic—including up-to-date news, user reviews, and “no holds barred” opinions on a variety of social media, tech, computer, and mobile accessories topics.