7 Ways to Find Balance as a Work-At-Home Mom

I’ve been a member of every mommy category: work-at-home mom for 12+ years, stay-at-home mom for 1.5 years, and work-outside-the-home mom for 4.5 years.  Each role requires lots of balance, but from my experience, the work-from-home role needs the most balance.

God has helped me identify seven ways for finding balance as a work-from-home mom, and I’m happy to share them with you.

1. Time in God’s Word

Each morning I get up before my husband and children.  I brew a cup of tea and spend about ten minutes reading my One Year Bible and praying over my day.  This daily practice has set a peaceful tone before my busy days of working outside the home.  I know it will continue to set a peaceful tone for my days at home, so it’s my top priority for the day.

2. Time to Work

I designate specific hours only for work.  Not for squeezing in vacuuming or folding laundry.  Not for scrubbing the toilets or sorting papers.  I learned in my eight years of working from home that certain hours of the day must be made exclusive for work.  Home responsibilities will always be waiting for me, but working from home requires discipline and boundaries.  I also can’t let my work hours bleed into family time or we all pay a price.  My rule will be this: I work during the hours my children are at school—no more, no less.

3. Time to Exercise

Since my work will be done on the computer, I am forced to sit most hours of the day.  If I’m not intentional about exercising, my health will suffer.  To fend off sluggishness I set a timer for every 45 minutes.  Then I stare out my windows at faraway objects, giving my eyes a much-needed break from the screen.  I also walk briskly around the house for a few minutes or do some jumping jacks to get my blood flowing.  I purchased a walking desk to get some steps in while I’m working, and I spend a half-hour each afternoon on my treadmill while I read books on my Kindle.  However, nothing beats a walk outside on a pretty day (more on that later).

4. Time to Keep House

I lean more toward messy than neat in my housekeeping.  But my husband really craves clean spaces.  I use 15 minutes each day for pure organization (paper is my downfall).  When I enlist the help of my children after school each day, we can have a cleaner house and more freedom on weekends.  This is a nice switch from cramming it all in on Saturdays.  Scheduled time for housekeeping promotes peace throughout our home.

5. Time to Unwind

Even though I enjoy a quieter, slower pace at home as compared to the busy office where I once worked, I  still use my brain, and I need a break after my designated working hours.  Each afternoon I relax by reading a book or taking a short nap so my brain gets much-needed rest before I tackle evening responsibilities.

6. Time to Enjoy Nature

Staying inside all day makes my world feel oh-so-small.  By getting outside every day, I enjoy fresh air, sunshine, and an expanded view.  I am blessed to live in the country where I can take peaceful walks and bask in the sounds of birdsong.  I also enjoy gardening, and I plan to linger each day, perhaps at lunchtime or after supper, in my vegetable and flower gardens.

7. Time to Cultivate Friendships

I beat the loneliness of working from home by scheduling phone time or a video chat with a different friend or relative each day. I am also willing to sacrifice one morning of work hours for Bible study with a group of friends and offset it with extra work on Saturday mornings.  As I work hard to cultivate friendships, my long hours alone are counterbalanced by relationships.

I know from experience that I must be intentional with my time when working from home.  By managing my time in these seven categories, I can find balance in my work-at-home schedule.

Questions for Reflection

If you are a work-at-home mom, how can you apply these tips to your current situation?

If you are in a different mommy category, which of these tips can help you manage your time well?

Check out these other helpful posts on working from home:

What is a Walking Desk?

How to Break Free from Stressful Thoughts

How to Multiply Your Time with Wisdom

Note: This post originally appeared on Lauren Moye’s site.

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