Wife. Mom. Realtor. Blogger. Small shop owner. Daughter. Sister. Friend. These are the many hats/titles I wear. Like many of you, I am trying to juggle all the things while trying to be a good wife and mom. As a new SAHM that is also trying to contribute to the household finances, I am knee deep in the thick of this crazy season and learning things daily that help me keep it all together. With these 5 ways to stay productive as a SAHM/WAHM, you will learn a few practical ways to juggle everything throughout your busy days. The tips may not be what you think!
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You will hear this tip a million times- make a schedule. But as a SAHM, some days it is just not practical to adhere to a strict schedule because small children can be quite unpredictable. So what do you do when your perfectly planned out day goes completely to crap? This is why it is equally as important to have a schedule that buys you some grace in the day. For example, if your family dynamic looks like mine where there is a two year old who is into everything and a 4 month old, you probably have a schedule that juggles the toddler activities during the babies nap times. If you are also working on side hustles like me, you may also have that scheduled in during nap times. While this seems like a great plan, there a many days it just doesn’t work. My toddler may or may not take a nap that day since he is at the age where naps are fewer and far between so there goes any plan of getting work done during the day. Also, the baby may or may not nap for the duration of time I expect so sometimes- that time is out the window as well. This is where the flexibility comes in.
Once you understand that your days will not always go 100% according to the plan, you will be less stressed throughout the day and therefore more productive in all you are trying to accomplish. When mom is stressed and frazzled, not only do you feel it but the kids do to. And any hope you had at them sticking to the schedule is gone. Also, your work may suffer. So build it into your schedule to have an hour or so after bedtime to get some things done or a time when your partner is home.
If you are looking for an action packed toddler schedule for the summer, you can find ours here along with a free printable.
There is nothing more important in keeping my sanity these days than keeping the right perspective. Going into this transition to SAHM, I had to come to terms that my life would not always look like what I think it should look like as SAHM. I do not have help majority of the time so it me and the boys all day, everyday. No time for much other than taking the best care of them I can. This is something I was 100% willing and ready to do when we decided I would stay home. I am grateful because raising my children myself was worth it for me. Even if it means I don’t have much “me” time or if we don’t have much disposable income. Or if my life as a SAHM doesn’t look exactly like one of my mom friends or a mom on television. My journey is mine and I am grateful for it. Once you put things into perspective for yourself, you will spend less time worrying about what you can’t do and focus on what you can do. You will be more content in this season because you understand while your days may not always go perfectly, they are days you wouldn’t give up for anything. Perspective creates higher productivity.
Seriously guys. Stop it. This is one thing I believe us moms silently struggle with but will never admit. Most of our discontentment, stress, or lack of productivity comes from comparing ourselves or our situation to someone else’s. Everyone’s situation is different. You should not feel some sort of way because someone else is able to have this or that. Or go here or there. Or so on……. I recently read a book by Rachel Cruze called “Love your life, not theirs” and it slaps you right in the face with the comparison game. It is something we have all been guilty of at one point or another and robs us of our happiness and productivity. Once I decided I would no longer compare myself, my family or situation to anyone else’s- my productivity greatly increased because I don’t waste time or energy worrying about “stuff.” I mean at the end of the day, no one is going care how expensive your home or couch is when you are dead (morbid but real).
Faith, Music, Coffee
Oh what would I do without these three in my day. Everyday without fail, I start it with a cup of coffee and end it with worship music. It is music and coffee that uplift my mood and keep me grounded and focused on my faith in God. My faith is what keeps me going when the days are hard and long. I know the lord in heaven is working all things out for my good and it instantly comforts me. When I am faced with a stressful and chaotic day, I turn on my worship music. It does it for me.
I will admit as a type A, task oriented, perfectionist type, I struggled a lot with keeping my faith over the years. During this season as SAHM, I have never relied on it more. This season is teaching me that nothing is worth worrying about. Nothing. The situation and its outcome is already decided so worrying about it is only robbing me of my happiness, contentment and productivity in that day/moment. Believe me, I still have moments where I slip up and I allow the enemy to make me worry or stress about something. My faith is something I continue to work on daily.
Find what works for you. Whether it is faith, music and coffee or whatever. Having simple things that uplift your spirits will soar you into a productive day where you are checking all the things off your mile long to do list!
Negative people simply have no room in your life. You do not have time for it. Between trying to balance your home and work, church, kids activities, etc., there is no space for a negative nancy. We all know who I am talking about. That one friend or family member that sends you back into an unproductive state of mind with their energy. Figure out what your triggers are that send you into a state of mind that is unproductive and then identity those in your life who are contributing to that state of mind. Once you figure that out, you simply need to limit or eliminate them from your day. Not being mean, but you will just have to love them from afar. How can you be productive if you are giving away your precious time to people who steal your joy? You need good energy around you. People focused on the same things that you are. Surrounding yourself with good energy will increase your productivity because you will be around people who are on the same page as you.
These are mental and practical tips to increase your productivity each day. Your mentality is a game changer when it comes to how much you are capable of doing or achieving. Once you shift your state of mind, I guarantee you will find your days as a SAHM/WAHM more productive and fulfilling.
What tips do you have for staying productive as a SAHM/WAHM?
