Single Moms Working from Home: How to Balance Work-Life

Last Modified:

March 21, 2023

Single Moms Working from Home: How to Balance Work-Life

Last Modified:

March 21, 2023

Being a single mom comes with its own set of challenges, and sometimes when you’re trying to balance work, personal life, and family, it only gets harder.

To stay productive, focused, and managing everything effectively, sometimes we need some practical strategies and a positive mindset.

It is possible to create a healthy work-life balance and thrive in both aspects of your life. In this post, we’ll explore some tips and ideas to help you successfully balance work and home life as a single, work-at-home mom.

1. Create a Daily Schedule:

One of the biggest challenges of working from home is managing your time effectively.

Almost everyone thinks that the biggest challenge is having children, but they don’t know that many times it’s work or even personal projects that don’t let us organize our days, and obviously when you have kids to take care of, it becomes even more challenging.

The best way to overcome this challenge is to create a daily schedule that works for you and your family.

We would love to tell you to plan your work hours, break times, and family time, including meals, homework, and playtime, but we understand that no matter how well-off we have the agenda, unforeseen events can always arise.

First, before the agenda, you should set goals in terms of time that you want to dedicate to different areas of your life. How many hours to your work, children, friends, meals, breaks, exercises, sleep and more tasks or goals that you have set.

Starting with sleep, subtract those hours from your day and distribute the remaining hours among the other areas. Remember that you can dedicate time to certain things only come days of the week and so on, but in the end we are going to decide the amount first, and then the rest.

Once you have the list, now if you grab an agenda, either by hand, on your cell phone, an application or whatever you want and start accommodating your days.

Now the important thing is to know that when there are unforeseen events, you will have to rearrange that interruption. An example would be, if you are in your 7 hours of work and you had planned 1 hour for your children at night but they interrupt you for half an hour during work time, you have to exchange part of the time you had at night to make up.

At first this may sound like a frustrating or complicated task that will only stress your day more, but as it becomes a habit, you will realize how effective it is and how much it will change your life and balance.

I recommend that you check the free version of an app called ClickUp. It has no cost at any time and it will help you organize your life as if they were projects and it can rearrange the times by itself.

Make sure to communicate your schedule with everybody that is involved so they understand your work commitments and when you’ll be available for them.

2. Create a Dedicated Workspace:

Now that we have detailed the most complicated and long tip of all, we can move on with the details that will change your life one step at a time.

Creating a dedicated workspace can help you stay focused and productive during work hours. It doesn’t have to be a fancy or large space, but it should be comfortable, quiet, and free from distractions. You can set up a desk or a table in a quiet corner of your home, and make sure you have all the necessary equipment and supplies, including a good chair, a computer, and a reliable internet connection.

If you’re looking for some great office supplies, check out this link for some fantastic products at FlexiSpot. These products will help you create a comfortable and efficient workspace that can help you stay productive and focused during work hours.

3. Set Realistic Expectations:

Sometimes as a single mother, you may be tempted to take on too much, both at work and at home, and on the other hand, society has always seen single mothers who work, educate, have a social life and more as the ideal that everyone should achieve and this often creates unnecessary pressure on us.

Do not let these types of appearances influence you, we never really know what is behind the life of each person and if they are happy with what they appear to be. The idea is always to seek your happiness no matter what people think.

However, setting realistic expectations is crucial to balancing work and family life successfully. Don’t try to be supermom or a workaholic, as this will only lead to burnout and stress. Instead, set achievable goals, prioritize your tasks, and learn to say no when you need to.

4. Take Breaks:

Taking regular breaks is essential to staying productive and avoiding burnout. It is crucial that when making your calendar you have a minimum break of 5 or 10 minutes every hour or hour and a half from any other activity.

It’s easy to get sucked into something and forget to take breaks. However, taking short breaks every hour or so can help you stay focused and reduce stress.

Remember, the most important thing about these breaks is that they are stimulating for you and your body. Watching social networks, TV, just lying down or eating does not count as an effective rest.

Look for easy meditations to do, 10 minute walk or Yoga or even read or listen to an audio book. These and other activities will stimulate your body and mind and although at first they may be seen as a burden, in a few days you will feel like you have more energy and motivation in all aspects.

If you want to take it to another level you can even use applications like Yes.Fit and find a challenge near you or download Yoga applications and more.

5. Make Time for Self-Care:

As a single mother, it’s easy to put your own needs last. However, taking care of yourself is essential to being a good parent and a productive worker.

Make sure to take time for yourself every day, even if it’s just for a few minutes. You can meditate, read a book, take a bath, or do anything that helps you relax and recharge.

Appearance is always important, not because of what people see but because it is the image you see every day. Take the time to get ready and dress nice (for yourself) and the best thing you can do is reward yourself for each achievement or day you achieve your goals.

A massage, a facial, new clothes, a new book or even that craving that is so hard for you to eat. Put a value on your work and dedication and you will see that in a short time they will not only become habits but your life will be much more balanced and although it sounds overwhelming you will be more relaxed.

Balancing work and family life as a single mother working from home can be challenging, but it’s not impossible.

Get organized, apply yourself, and reward yourself and in a short time you will not only manage your life in a better way but you will create healthier habits.

Remember to communicate your schedule with your kids and acquaintances, and don’t be afraid to ask for help when you need it.

With the right mindset, strategies and tools you can thrive as a single mother and a successful remote worker.