How To Create Work/Life Balance As A Work At Home Mom

Achieving a work-life balance can be one of the toughest challenges for moms working from home. The idea of completing all your job tasks while still having time for yourself, your partner, and family often feels like a distant dream.

But balance is possible, even for work-at-home moms!

It takes some effort to establish a routine that suits your needs, but the rewards are worth it. You’ll experience more energy, daily satisfaction, quality time with loved ones, and enough downtime to unwind.

Here are some tips to create a healthy work/life balance as a work from home mom. 

1. Develop a good daily routine

When you’re just trying to wing it, it can be hard to find time for yourself and your family. Establishing daily routines is the key if you want to be productive during work time but also spend quality time with loved ones.

Schedule in times for breaks and meals. Set an end-of-day deadline: when do we need to stop working? This will help to stop you feeling the need to return to your work during the evening or family time.

This productive routine doesn’t have to be a set-in-stone schedule. You don’t need to break up your day into exact minute increments, but rather create an outline of what needs to get done each day and how long it should take you if you’re managing time efficiently.

Allow for some flexibility as unexpected things do come up; life happens! It’s possible that one day something might crop up like taking care of a sick child, which pushes back your ability to work until the following day. However, by following a flexible routine daily, you’ll find that more tasks from that never ending list will start getting knocked off before they pile up even further.

2. Create a designated work space

Creating a work space separate from the rest of your home is perfect for a stay-at-home mom. It doesn’t need to be large or fancy, but it should be distinct and off-limits during family time. This way, you can switch off from “work mode” even while at home. Dedicate this area solely for work tasks to boost focus. By doing so, you’ll train yourself to enter “work mode” when you’re there and avoid feeling like you’re still at “the office” during family or relaxation time.

3. Minimize distractions while working

You want to be as productive with your time at home, work and in between. Doing so will help you balance the parts of life that are important to you. Being productive doesn’t always mean working on something all day long – it just means focusing during your work hours and also designating time to leisurely activities like relaxing or watching TV when possible too!

Set aside time each day for work and create a plan to stay on top of it. Turn off the TV, close social media, avoid letting yourself get sucked into watching Netflix or spending an afternoon having coffee with friends and missing hours of work time. You’ll only end up having to work extra during your ‘non work’ time and throw off your routine and schedule.

4. Put down your phone

Cell phones are probably the biggest distraction for many, especially for moms working from home. We all feel the urge to stay connected and often keep our phones with us all the time. This habit can turn into an obsession, wasting time and reducing productivity. A quick glance at Facebook can quickly turn into an hour of mindless scrolling.

To manage this, set clear boundaries between work and personal time. Let your family know your working hours, so they don’t expect you to be available. Use the do not disturb mode on your phone to ensure only emergency calls come through.

5. Don’t be afraid to ask for help

Some days, you feel like you can handle anything. You’re managing work, taking care of your kids, tackling chores, cooking dinner, and fielding endless questions from a curious toddler. But other times, it seems like there’s no way one person can do it all without feeling overwhelmed. Trying to manage everything alone is a surefire path to burnout.

Often, moms feel the pressure to do everything without asking for help, believing they must balance work and family life all on their own. This mindset can lead to feeling utterly drained.

Moms often think they need to handle every task. It might seem like your duty to manage your job, care for your family, keep the house in order, and run errands. You want to earn a living while also being a devoted mother and partner. But doing everything solo isn’t realistic, and admitting that doesn’t mean failure—it’s wise. Families thrive when everyone pitches in.

Share tasks with your partner and kids. Even little ones can help with tidying up or sorting laundry. Don’t hesitate to ask for help and make use of any support offered!

6. Find time-saving hacks

Freeing up time can be a helpful way for work at home moms to achieve a good work/life balance. It may sound like an impossible task, but it absolutely can work if you know where and how to cut back so that you have more free time. Here are a few ideas:

• Plan grocery deliveries or pick-ups in advance of when they are needed
• Shop online to save time getting to and from the shops.
• Organise things such as bills and banking online so you don’t have to make special trips out.
• Make sure you’re getting help at home so it’s not just you cooking dinner every night and try things such as meal prepping to save time.

Try anything you can that works well for your household and frees up some extra time.

7. Look after yourself too

When you’re trying to juggle being a mom with taking care of everything else, it’s easy to overlook someone: yourself! If you let yourself run on empty day after day, there’s no way you can maintain a healthy work/life balance. 

Always include some “me time” into your weekly schedule – whether its getting in a bubble bath every other night or reading for 30 minutes per evening. Remember that you are allowed to have days off from work and prioritise family time and self care.

With all the balls you’re juggling, make sure to take care of yourself alongside your family and work.

Keeping that work/life balance 

Balancing work and family life is challenging, especially for moms working from home. But with some smart tweaks and time-saving tips, it’s possible.

Developing a routine will help give structure in what are usually chaotic days for working moms. Keeping free from distractions with a designated work space can be key to keeping work from overflowing into family time and remembering to look after yourself will help keep your energy topped up for both work and family commitments.