Six Ways to Increase Productivity at Home
We can all agree that, as moms, we are usually the do-er of all the things. We balance careers, planning birthday parties, unloading dishwashers, making appointments, and countless other tasks....sound familiar?
Maintaining the system and cleanliness in my home is something I had to learn to do, but in a different way, once I had children. Structure, organization, and tidiness are things that came pretty natural to me pre-kids. Once my first child arrived, then again with my second, it seemed my days got shorter and my list of “things” got longer.
Through many social media platforms, we see articles that say “the dishes can wait, let the laundry pile up.” In theory those articles are great, and I’m aware that all parents really need to value and implement the importance of prioritizing quality time with their kids. But for me, having a tidy home, the sink empty of dishes, and the bedroom picked up was a strength of mine that fueled me before I had children. In order to feel relief, practice self-care, and spend quality time with my kids, I had to figure out how to be the most productive with my time at home.
The truth is, you can have both- quality time with kids and a tidy home.
In short, here are some things I have picked up that help me....
1. The less “things” in my house, the less time I spend cleaning them up or cleaning around
them. By “things” I mean items purchased. Whether that be food, home decor, toys,
clothes, shoes, bags, nik-naks, oh did I mention toys....the point is the more stuff we
have, the more we have to keep tidy. On a similar note, consistently get rid of things you don’t use.
2. Replace “will you,” with “I need you to” when seeking help with tasks around the
house. For example, instead of “will you go through the pile of mail, tonight “ you can say “I need you to go through the pile of mail tonight.” This goes for your spouse and your children. And let me tell you, our children are capable of more household tasks than we give them credit for. With toddlers, including them on chores can be time spent together (although it may take longer).
3. Implement the post-bed-time speed clean. Give yourself 15-20 minutes after bedtime to spend solely on tidying up or completing a chore. I know we usually want to go straight to the couch or shower due to fatigue, but these few minutes can make a big difference in your productivity.
4. Each morning or evening, make a list of a few things you want/need to get done around the house and strategize for where those things can fit in. Psychology tells us that if we write it down on a to-do list, we are far more likely to get it done.
5. If the budget allows, source it out. I will never forget the day my husband and I budgeted out a cleaning service to come once a month. Literally, the best money I spend to date. I was confident I could do the lighter cleaning in-between the cleaning service, but it really helped take the pressure off having to work, wife, mom, and deep clean my house.
6. Lastly, and maybe most importantly.....put your phone down. You will be shocked at how much more productive you are and how much more quality time you spend with your kids when that phone is not attached to your hand. Put the ringer on loud, place it face down on the kitchen counter, and go about your day. It’s hard at first, but man the results are worth it.