Working girls, whether single, moms or grandmothers, can benefit from a few tips on how to mix work with housework. This can be especially challenging if you work from home.
I happen to work from home, but this can help even if you work outside the home. Personally, I came off the long winter months feeling down in the dumps. I wasn't able to balance my work with my housework, and always felt pulled to be doing money-making things when cleaning, and cleaning when working. At home, all of your responsibilities surround you.
I did something that many can do. I set alarms in my phone to remind me to run and do various things around the house. Not only did it benefit me in getting work done, but also got me up from sitting regularly throughout the day.
Many have heard of FlyLady.net - this is a site that will set you on the right course...but you are responsible for setting up a schedule that fits your lifestyle. She has daily routines all set up for you and ways to organize your time. You can receive reminders by email and also encouraging stories, if you have time to read them. At this update there is a very helpful app that you can add to your smartphone to keep track of what you've done and what you still need to do.
For example, she has what she calls a "Home Blessing" where you go through your home in an hour in 10 minute segments get a number of things done. Some do each 10 minute task spread throughout the week, I like to do it in an hour, it's good exercise and starts off the week nicely. I do this each Monday, and have set alarms in my phone with each task - they go off every 10 minutes and I move on to the next thing. Having a small home, and being young..or I should say physically fit...helps too. If our home were larger, I may set each task for an additional 5 minutes and spread the tasks over the week a bit more, but for now, Monday's work for me. The wonderful thing I've learned is a lot more time is spent thinking about getting a thing done than actually getting the things done.
Another thing that I do from FlyLady is the weekly zones. You focus on a main room, and maybe an additional small room, each week. I've set an alarm in my phone at a time that is suitable to me for "flylady zone" and when it goes off, I look in the emails that come in for the "Flight Plan" of the day, and do what is suggested for that zone...it inspires me, and I may do a little more than suggested, or on weeks when I'm ill or days when my husband has days off, I don't mind as much when I don't get to a mission, because things in general are so much better than they were before I started.
I feel so much better about my home...it's not perfect...but it's also not my master any longer...I'm mastering it. I feel better when I'm sitting down to do my work because I know an alarm will go off to remind me to do a task around the house...I don't have to take up "brain power" that's needed to focus on work to remember, and it feels so good to get up and move around when the time comes to do that task, and so good to see the results!
You can do this too...even if you are depressed by your surroundings and situation now...push through it, the results will go a long way to helping your state of mind.
Updated 11/28/18
