Happy Mothers’ Day! At Job Crystal we love working moms, are working moms, and are passionate about helping working moms achieve everything they can. That’s why we’ve put so much time and effort into creating an AI recruitment tool to help companies save time. We understand that being a mom is a full-time job all on its own. You’re a cook, a cleaner, an entertainer, a teacher, a therapist, and sometimes a conflict negotiator. That’s a lot of hats to wear, especially when you’re also spending all day at the office too. So, we thought this Mothers’ Day, we would share some quick and easy time-saving tips to get the most out of your 24 hours.
1. Limit Distractions
We’re living in a crazy time. More than ever it feels like everything we touch demands our attention at all times. That text or email probably needs to be responded to right away. Who’s calling now? Oh no, the chatty co-worker is at the desk next to yours today. Argh, the kids are home early from school and you still have a mountain of work.
The world is going to keep coming at you with all the bells and whistles it can, so it’s important to be able to filter out what isn’t necessary to what you’re currently doing. Here are some ways to do that:
Where possible, focus on one task at a time
Multitasking is great but it splits your focus between the two or more things you’re supposed to be doing. Putting all your attention into one task means that you can complete it quicker and more accurately.
Set timers
Give yourself a set amount of time to get a task done. This will create a deadline, making you less likely to let your focus drift. It will also create a block of time where your sole focus is the task at hand.
Stop looking at your phone
This is the advice that everyone gives you, but the truth is that we spend a staggering 3 hours a day on our phones. That’s an eighth of our day that could be used on anything else. There’s nothing wrong with being on your phone, but it’s a big focus pull. If you struggle with letting go of your phone, try an app that prevents you from using it for a while. My personal favourite is Forest which uses the time you’re not looking at your phone to grow a tree for your own virtual forest.
Set boundaries with people
If there’s a co-worker that won’t stop chatting to you, have an honest conversation with them about when you’re free to talk. Are you the chatty co-worker? Have your co-workers point out when you’re getting distracted. If you’re working from home, set up your desk somewhere with a door that closes so that you can create a physical boundary when it’s time to work.
2. Plan Your Time
Working moms have hectic schedules, so it’s important to plan ahead. This is often a difficult one to get going, but once you’ve got the gist of it, it’s a huge help. Setting time aside to set time aside may seem like a waste, but it’ll help you in the long run.
Take some time at the beginning of the week to take note of your appointments, tasks you need to get to, errands you need to run, and any events you need to be at. Make notes of which are urgent, and which can be pushed to another date.
It’s also really important to plan time to rest. Burnout is a real danger and if you’re spending each and every minute of every day trying to cram as much as you can into it, you’re going to hit a wall very quickly. Rest is productive! You can’t pour from an empty jug, so make sure that you’re taking some time every day to do things that fill you. This workplace reminder is about equipment maintenance, but it sums it up perfectly:
3. Outsource Your Brain
We’re living in the future. The things that are everyday to us would blow the minds of people from as recent as fifty years ago. And while this means that everything seems to be happening so much at all times, it also means that we have tools that can help as manage that.
We spend so much of our days worrying about things we need to remember, so why not outsource it? Make to-do lists – there are so many apps that are geared for just this. Set alarms and reminders.
One of the best bits of advice I ever received was to create a WhatsApp group, remove everyone except yourself, and use it to make quick memos like you would with sticky notes. It’s helpful because if you use it consistently, you can always be sure to find that info you’re sure you made a note of.
Remember:
There’s no right or wrong way to go about your day. What matters is that you find what works for you and makes life easier for you. Be kind to yourself and remember that no matter what, as long as you’re doing your best, you’re doing great. Happy Mothers’ Day!
