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So many of us are working from home these days, and it can be frustrating to see the work pile up at home while we are trying to concentrate on our paying work. How do you get the house chores done and your at-home work responsibilities?
I have established a routine that helps me, and I use some tips I have learned along the way to keep on top of everything. Let me share some of this with you, and maybe it can help you to stop pulling out your hair and start catching up.
Start Off Right
Whatever kind of work you do at home can feel really important, and you may want to get right into that first thing. But you can get so caught up in that work that you neglect the housework. My method to tackle everything starts by doing just a few small house chores first thing. I make my bed, do the morning dishes, and then start off a load of laundry. That way, I have a few things out of the way, and the laundry can be washing while I am working.
I like to have housework going on while I work so I am getting multiple things done at once. So, if there are some really tough dishes, I let them soak while I start my paying work. If I need to do some baking during the day, I get that into the oven early so I can work while it is cooking.
Starting the day with even a small chore helps you to be more productive all day long.
Plan It Out
Your job work and housework might be different from day to day. Some days you need to focus on one more than the other, and some days you have different kinds of chores to do than other days. So, I find it helps to make out a list the night before and plan out what I am going to do for the day. I can write it all down and then rearrange it using task or note apps on my phone. By writing down each item, I am less likely to forget something. I can also develop a strategy in place for how I am going to get everything done and not feel overwhelmed in the morning. Instead of just doing each task as it comes to me, I make a plan for the order and the method I will use, writing down as much detail in the app as I need to in order to get things done effectively.
Take Small Breaks
Did you know it is recommended that you take a break from your work every 30 minutes or so? That way, you can be more productive. By taking just five minutes to stop and relax, you clear your mind and come back to the work more focused and energised. The break does not have to be a restful one, though. You can simply do a different kind of task and still get the same benefit. So, if you work from home at a computer, just take a five-minute break every half hour and do a little house cleaning. Sweep a room, dust some shelves, organise the shoes, or put away dry dishes. And then come back and you should feel ready to tackle that work. This is the kind of advice that sounds like it might not work, but it actually keeps you more focused and less likely to allow your mind to wander. I have found that whenever I am losing productivity and focus at work, I just get up and do some house chores and then feel much better when I come back to the work. Plus, I get a lot more done!
Cheat
Raise your hand if there are some house chores you just despise doing. Yeah, me too, and so I will sometimes have someone else do them. I may find a home cleaner to do some of the more intensive stuff or to help me catch up on my cleaning. I may pay a neighbour’s kid to do some of the work as well, helping them earn money and getting some of my housework done while I make money. It can be a win-win situation. I call it cheating because I am not doing the housework myself, but I think it is really smart to focus on your work sometimes and leave the chores for others, when it makes sense. That’s how you meet those important deadlines.
A Little at a Time
Do you sometimes take a break from your real work to focus on the housework and then lose track of time and work longer than you planned to? Do you sometimes feel exhausted after the housework and no longer feel like you can do your paying work? To keep these kinds of scenarios from happening, I consciously choose to do only some of my housework at a time. I tell myself I will spend no more than five or 10 minutes on a chore before I get back to my job. I even set alarms sometimes. This lets me make sure I am getting all the paid work done, but I can also make progress on my house chores. The housework can often wait, so doing some of it here and a bit more there works out fine. I can always get the bulk of it done on the weekend, but at least I am getting some done during the work week.
These methods of trying to do some housework during the day may have to be adjusted for your lifestyle, but I think you will find that it helps you do more and feel more accomplished. It also means that you won’t be as overwhelmed with housework by the end of the day or on the weekend. Instead of a massive amount of house chores to do when you should be resting, you will only have a small amount to do.