My top 25 time saving tips for working mums!

Time Saving Tips for Working Mums

I’ve been a working mum running my own business since my children were 3 and 5, so I’ve been in your shoes…..felt the guilt of working long hours….the stress of juggling a family and a business….but also had the privilege of being able to say ‘I am my own boss’ and being able to be there for those school plays and parents evenings. It IS definitely worth it.

So I thought what a great platform my blog is to share a few of my time-saving tips with other working mums, I’ve been running my own business for nearly eleven years and don’t regret a minute of it…..when the children were young I could take them and pick them up every day from school….in fact they thought I didn’t work at one time!!

So how do you keep out of the – Housework – Family – Work – Repeat cycle and fit in some ‘ME’ time as well??? Read on for my top tips.

Time saving tips for working mums home life –

Do one load of washing a day and stick to the rule of ‘it does not go in the laundry basket’!! My laundry basket is overflowing everywhere by the weekend if I don’t keep it in check. Dry then put away and only iron essentials.
Write a shopping list, only shop once a week and if you can, shop online for delivery.
Delegate easy tasks….you arent Superwoman and even though we feel like we should do the majority of tasks there are many simple tasks even young children can help with.
When I cook I always try and cook double and then freeze half. This is so useful if you know you have a long day ahead and will have limited time for preparing a meal. On the subject of meals one of my best investments was a slow cooker, so easy to use and you can cook some fab meals with a minimum of preparation.
Declutter, now I can’t abide clutter so this is easy for me! But if you tend to store items then schedule in a twice yearly declutter.
Use down time such as waiting to pick the children up from school or driving to appointments to listen to webinars, turn your car into a learning zone.
Plan the day ahead the evening before – sort out childrens and your own clothes and if you have packed lunches to do then do them then. Line up shoes by the door for a stress free start to the following day.
Define your work and family time, keep these times exclusive. If you work from home on your business like I do then this can be a hard task. Switch off from work, use separate phones for business and family and keep your social media profiles separate.
Have a family tray in your office with school letters, birthday invites etc in. Make sure you check these daily and add into your planners.
Prepay dinner money, it is so much easier. I also have a bus card for my children which tops up when the balance gets down to £5, so another thing I don’t have to worry about. For mums with older children you can also get prepayment cards for them that you can top up with poctet money and have full control over.
Keep it clear in your mind why you’re a working mum! You are building a future for your family. Cherish the good things about working and never feel envious of your friends as they are probably be thinking the same about your life!
Don’t be hard on yourself if your home isn’t immaculate and you don’t cook super healthy foods daily – look at the benefits of what you are doing.

Time saving tips for working mums working from home –

To do lists! When you work for yourself you can become overwhelmed with the sheer number of items to do – accounts, marketing, return emails…..etc….etc. So my top tip is write your to do lists, prioritize them and rewrite them, then break them down into bite size chunks over the week or month. You are a mum working your own business for a reason….and that isn’t to be in a state of stress!!
Digital dump…..keep organised with your files, your desktop is not a filing system! Name and file away files in corresponding folders so you can find them when you need them.
A place for everything, keep your office tidy. Only keep current files out, use desktop trays for easy access for paperwork. Tidy these and action daily.
Delete unused apps, keep your Ipad, phone, desktop tidy.
Learn to say NO! You will never please everyone and never feel you have to justify your reason for saying NO.
‘Get dressed for work’ I always stick to this, I just can’t feel in work mode if I am sat in my PJ’s!! This might just be me and you might feel it is a privilege of working from home, but I just can’t do it!! I get up every morning and get ready for work, even if I am working from home all day and will not set eyes on another person!
Get up early – set a ‘start work time’ and dress for success.
Set breaks and down time when you are working from home. I really struggle with this as I will get into a project and will just keep working for hours. You will be much more productive if you have regular breaks, even set an alarm to remind yourself.
Go outside…..you will feel so much better in yourself with a little fresh air. Luckily (or unluckily) I have five dogs, so plenty of opportunity to get out and about.

Time saving tips for working mums so you can have ME time –

You work for yourself for a reason, never forget ME time though. Book your hair and nail appointments ahead, make sure you treat yourself and feel you look your best, you’ll be much more productive if you feel good about yourself.
Stay healthy, even if it’s just a thirty minute walk daily. Don’t eat junk, if you feel stodgy it will show through into your work.
Pay attention to your feelings and wellbeing, stay in touch with who you area physically and emotionally. If your intuition tells you that you are out of balance then you are.
Brain dump – one thing I tell my new team members is there isn’t anything that can’t wait until tomorrow. Download everything on your mind and note onto your PC or diary all your tasks. Focus on that your are finished and turn off the PC or shut the diary and leave it.

Well that’s 25! Just felt I had to add these extra two in though for you working mums !!

Do something you like every day – I love this tip.
Set goals – not just work goals though – have family goals, personal goals, household goals, financial goals, spiritual goals. In essence just maintain that balance in all areas of your life.

So if you think this could be the life for you and want to make it a success as a working mum, then contact me to have a chat about starting your own Avon business…..I did eleven years ago and have never looked back.

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