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There is nothing more rewarding than being a work-at-home mom. There is also nothing more exhausting. For anyone who has experienced this type of lifestyle you understand that unless you’re intentional to schedule it, there is never a vacation day, sick day, or time away from work and family.
Although working from home may be seen as a benefit more than anything, the fact remains that it is still one of the hardest jobs out there. One person can’t do everything, but you may feel as if you’re expected to – even if you’re the one putting the pressure on. Follow these tips to avoid feeling overwhelmed as you go about building your business.
Set boundaries
For anyone that has ever gone by the name “mom,” boundaries can be easy to forget. You want to be everything to everyone and feel the need to be the solver of all problems. This is not easy to do, however, and can lead you to a life of burnout and stress.
You have to be honest with yourself and your family and draw a line where the boundaries need to begin. Say no sometimes even when it’s hard to do. Overextending yourself on a regular basis will be of no help to anyone in the long run.
Build healthy habits
It goes without saying that living a healthy lifestyle will help you avoid stress, fatigue, burnout, and overwhelm in more ways than one. By adopting healthy eating habits, making sure you get plenty of sleep and exercising on a regular basis, you to feel healthier and happier overall. You will have more energy and your ability to accomplish more will skyrocket. Be careful not to fall into the superwoman trap, however. Just because you feel great doesn’t mean you need to take on everything. These healthy habits will eventually become a normal way of life and your stress levels will diminish.
Take time off
Sure, the work-at-home mom doesn’t have the benefit of paid sick or vacation days. But that doesn’t mean you can’t schedule a few hours or a whole day to yourself from time to time. After all, you work for yourself, so you can determine the hours you put in and how you schedule your time. Working from home certainly doesn’t mean you need to work from sunrise to sunset (and beyond). You have to make time for you, too; otherwise, you will easily start to burnout from work and family life.
A book I recommend for scheduling your life in advance (and allowing for margin and “me time”) is Living Forward by Michael Hyatt and Daniel Harkavy.
Working from home isn’t as always as relaxed as most people believe it to be. It can be one of the most amazing opportunities for those that take it on. You are able to provide for your family while being home with them on a daily basis. Even though this is a blessing to most people, you still have to remember to take time for yourself and not fall into the category of “yes woman” to everyone. Follow a few of these steps and you will easily avoid burnout and be the best version of yourself, which allows everyone to benefit.
How do you avoid overwhelm while working from home? Are you afraid to set boundaries and say “no”? Please share your struggles with work-life balance in the comment box at the bottom of this article.
