I know that as a busy parent with little kids, you can feel absolutely overwhelmed with the never ending ‘to dos’ when you have so little free time!
Here’s a few ways that we are able to manage our time a little better:
Don’t waste spare time that you already have. I get it, raising little ones is exhausting! And when you do get 2 minutes of them playing independently or taking a nap, it’s so easy just to flop on the couch and start scrolling social media. But before you know it the little one needs you again and now all many spare time you did have is gone. Try to keep yourself accountable and recognise when you are procrastinating so that you can break the habit and start being more productive.
Using checklists is a great way to keep a note of what actually needs to be done. From the little stuff to the big tasks, I like to keep a list on Google Keep and add my husband as a collaborator, so that we can both tick off a job once either of us has completed it. Not only does it help to keep your mind clutter free and offer an organised view of your tasks, but it also gives you a little boost of dopamine when you can tick something off!
Setting deadlines can be really helpful to keep your productive. It’s so easy to slip off track and leave something till later when there is no date it needs to be done by, often these things never get done! By setting a deadline you are again holding yourself accountable to make sure the task is done in time, leaving no time for messing around!
Eliminating distractions is a obviously a very hard one when you have little kids. But have you ever tried to get a complex or important job done whilst looking after your child? It’s kind of impossible and you end up getting frustrated with them for just being a child, which isn’t fair to them at all. Instead I find that if I focus on the easy stuff during the day when my boy is around (e.g. a quick hoover or load of washing) then I can still enjoy my time with him without getting overwhelmed. Then I try to use nap time and bed time as my dedicated work hours for tasks that require more focus such as phoning the bank, writing an email, painting a wall etc
Focusing on one thing at a time is also a great way of honing your mind to be successful at one task at a time instead if unsucccesful at them all! Trying to tick lots of tasks off at one time can be too much and you’ll often find you don’t do the jobs as quick or to as high or quality as you usually do. Focusing on just one task can make it a lot easier to complete that one before moving on to others, meaning everything gets done quickly, efficiently and to a high standard.
Take breaks! I know that sounds counterproductive after I’ve just been talking about productivity and hard work… however when you take little breaks in between hard tasks it can give your mind a little reset meaning you’ll be more focused when you get back to work. Now taking a break doesn’t mean scrolling!! It means doing something which is genuinely good for your mental, emotional or physical health. That could be having a cup of herbal tea, doing a few yoga stretches, reading a couple pages of a book, stepping outside to breath the fresh air etc etc
Hopefully these tips have helped you. I still struggle with being productive and managing my time but these tips have definitely helped me come a long way and I hope they will benefit you to! Here’s to being more productive with our time as busy parents!
Comment below if you have any of your own tips!
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