Work from home mothers, yes, they exist. Everybody knows that motherhood in itself is a full-time job but today we are going to talk about work from home mothers, more specifically how they can manage their work responsibilities from home.

Work commute is probably the number one cribbing point for most people in the world. It is difficult and hectic in itself without having to balance it with the responsibilities attached to raising an infant.

It is more difficult for first-time mothers to move away from their little bundle of joy and so resuming a full-time job can be tricky. In such a situation, work from home becomes a welcome possibility. This way, your professional growth doesn’t have to put on hold while you take care of your kid.

If not managed correctly, this situation that initially felt like a godsend, can turn into a mountain of never ending problems. To manage both these roles mothers need to create a perfect balance between work and motherhood. A surefire way to do so is follow the following steps and gradually include them as a habit in your routine:

• Familiar your baby to a schedule:

If you have a newly born baby, the infant will take several weeks or months in some cases to adapt to a particular routine. Do not be in a rush to get your baby in a schedule as they may not respond positively to it. Initially, you can adjust your work as per your baby’s routine and gradually, change it as per a schedule that is comfortable to you.

You can simply follow the thumb rule of eat-sleep-play for initial days. This will ensure that you feed the baby at the right time, gets sound sleep for decent number of hours which a baby should and you get to spend time with them. This will also give you adequate time to complete your office work and prepare meals.

• Create rituals:

Always remember to distinguish your personal space and professional space. You need to create a balance between both your responsibilities and cannot devote more time to either one of them. Possibly, you can plan that once your child is having a nap you can complete a part of your work in that time period.

If your child is young enough to go to play school you can go to a nearby café and complete your office work till your child is in school.

Before your baby arrives you can construct a loft conversion under the assistance of reliable and experienced company. This space allows you to work peacefully and away from all distractions. This way, you can stay focused on the activities that you are currently performing rather than working with a disturbed mind.

• To-do list:

When a new week begins prepare a list which includes your entire day’s task. This will help you to eliminate clutter and be more organised all through your day. You can prepare two separate lists, one for office work and other for household chores.

While preparing the list keep in mind to assign limited tasks that you can actually achieve because listing unachievable goals can be a huge waste of time and effort. Keep 2-3 main tasks for the entire day and try to achieve them with the best of your efforts.

• Set Timers:

You can work while your baby is enjoying a peaceful nap. This could be the most productive work time for you, which mean you can put your best efforts to achieve your day’s goal.

You can divide your work in a fixed duration. If your baby takes a three hour nap in the afternoon say 1pm -3pm, in the first 15 minutes you can plan optimal use of next 2hours and 45 minutes. Allot each task to be accomplished in this specific time period.

For instance, you can carry out in-depth research for first 45 minutes, the next hour could be working on the research you have obtained, in the next thirty minutes you can go through your work and make necessary changes. In the last thirty minutes you can search for ways wherein you can enhance the effectiveness of your end result.

It is very important to stay calm and focus on your work for the limited time that you have in your hand.

• Wake up early:

Waking up early is a difficult task for majority of people but there are several benefits of doing it. Firstly, you get time to organise your day and figure out what tasks you are going to perform in next 12 hours. Secondly, your mind is calmer as you are awake before you actually have to begin with your chores. This is so because you are not in a hurry to start your day.

In fact you can start the day by spending some alone time which you may not get for the rest of the day. If you have a habit of reading a newspaper or working out you can do so in this leisure time.

Initially, you may find it difficult but gradually you will get accustomed to this routine.

• Prep on Sundays:

Following a tight schedule throughout the week can be exhausting which makes Sunday the one chance you get to relax. You tend to avoid picking additional tasks on Sundays apart from the basic chores you absolutely have to do.

You can optimally use your Sunday for grocery shopping, planning your meal for the next week or maybe prepare some snacks, which you can munch on during the next week. Your partner can help you with these tasks or instead take care of your baby so that you can complete them.

You can also clean your baby’s room. This will allow you to easily find their belongings, which means that you do not waste time searching for them during the week. If you have set work then plan a work schedule well in advance.

Completing all these chores on Sunday will help you to save lot of time during the week.

• Be Flexible:

As babies grow, their schedules are also subject to change. In most cases, infants are likely to bring some alteration in their schedule after every two months. In such circumstances you have to adapt to these changes and work accordingly. Gradually, you can get your baby accustomed to a schedule that is suitable for both of you.

This means some days are smooth while others, well, are not.. Its hard to predict how your baby reacts to seasonal changes so have a flexible approach when seasons change. Some babies become cranky due to the outside weather while others may not be affected much.

Such changes might create an imbalance in your planning but try to balance it by learning more about your baby’s reaction to a particular change. This will help you be better prepared for such situations in the future.

• Hire help:

There is no point in overburdening yourself with responsibilities that could in the long run cause a burnout and therefore, you should also look to seek help. During the first 2 months you may not be able to meet all your deadlines. If you are facing such a problem do not hesitate to look for help.

You can hire a babysitter for few hours of the day or during last few days of the month if you feel the need to do so. You can also hire some freelancer for your business tasks if you are unable to shoulder the burden.

Lastly, take timely breaks from your work and hectic routine. Taking a break will recharge you from your current stressful routine. Take a weekend off and visit a nearby city or you can also go for a long vacation with your family.