10 tips to stay productive as a stay at home wife.
10 Tips to stay productive at home, and become a better homemaker.
Staying productive as a stay at home wife is a core way to enjoy homemaking, these tips will help you to get going, stay productive, and feel fulfilled at home.
Staying productive as a homemaker and stay at home mom can be difficult. We have countless distractions around that could easily deter us from the day's responsibilities. I heard someone once say that they get asked often how they ‘get it all done’ and they very bluntly said, “ I probably get more done in the amount of time people spend on social media than others get done all day.”
Obviously, a very forward way of calling others out for wasting their precious time really shifted my mindset around productivity. Although it's straightforward it packs a punch because it's true! We waste an incredible amount of time through entertainment. We could get far more done if our time was actually our own and not owned by influencer's and TV networks.
I've been a homemaker for almost 7 years now (which is crazy to say) and my ability to be productive has shifted and changed over the years. I've learned some great tips to get it all done. So here's my best 10 tips (that I actually use on a daily basis) to be a productive homemaker.
1- Have a daily to do list
To do lists changed my entire experience as a homemaker. I wasn't very organized when I first became a homemaker which would be a shock to some of the people who know me now. I had a hard time figuring out what tasks to do and when, and I often let important things slip. If you're in this same boat, a to -do list can help you get out of that frustrating place. It's such a simple tool that really does work wonders.
I personally write my to-do list with 3 important tasks that need to be completed, then daily chores and then another section for things I would like to get done that day,but that aren't essential. This way I know exactly what I need to do, and if I get the essentials done before the day is over, then I always have other tasks that can fill my time.
2- Stop wasting your time
If you find yourself drowning in endless tasks with not enough time in the day to get things done, you may be wasting your time without realizing it. Especially in these modern times, we can waste our time with just about anything, from streaming services, social media,to cable tv. You name it, we can get distracted by it.
A great way to be entertained while staying on task, is by listening to podcasts, audio books, or music. Without the visual distraction that constantly draws in your attention you can stay on task while still stimulating your mind and not feeling bored.
3- Get the important tasks done first aka "eat that frog"
If you're familiar with the term “eat the frog” then this needs no explanation but if you've never heard the term before then allow me to explain. Eat that frog is a concept created by Brian Tracy in his book Eat That Frog, it's a well known productivity hack and time management technique.
It is basically the concept that if you had a dinner plate in front of you with an assortment of food that you are expected to eat, and one of the things on your plate was a frog, you would want to eat the frog first to get it out of the way.
The concept when applied to productivity basically means that if you have two tasks in front of you, you would want to complete the most intimidating and important task first. That way it's over and done with and gives you the confidence and momentum to finish the other tasks with ease.
It's easy to want to check off all the little chores or daily tasks, and leave the more difficult ones for later but often the most tedious tasks on our to do list are the most important ones so it can be very motivating to get them done first, or else risk never getting around to it.
So get the hard stuff done first, that way no matter what your day throws at you, you can at least rest easy knowing the urgent tasks are already done.
4- Be intentional with your time
Living intentionally can be different for everyone, being intentional with your time can really. Focusing on the most important tasks is one way to do that but its not the only way. You can use time blocking, a morning and nightly routine or whatever helps you develop a rhythm in homemaking that helps you.
Being intentional is all about using your time wisely and having your priorities in check. Stay focused on the homemaking tasks that have the biggest impact, that way every day feels like a success.
5- Get the basics done every day
Each home has a similar set of basic tasks that need to be accomplished daily when you're at home. It could be as simple as planning dinner, running the dishwasher, making the beds, and vacuuming.
These tasks are small yet important parts of creating a daily rhythm. If we don't complete these basics and they begin to pile up, these tasks quickly go from small to overwhelming, which is why it's so important to do them daily.
For me my daily tasks include things like, doing the dishes, making the bed, running a load of laundry, sweeping or vacuuming, feeding and walking my dogs, etc.
You're likely already doing this tip in your home, but if you're just starting out as a homemaker, this is one of the first tips you can put to practice to start feeling productive.
A daily cleaning routine can get you into the rhythm of homemaking.
6- Have weekly and monthly household chores
Not everything in the home has to be done daily, in fact you'd probably get burnt out if that were the case. You don't have to expect to have a spotless home 24/7, your human. But Having weekly chores is a great way to stay on top of the things we easily forget about.
I don't know about you but I'm terrible about cleaning the oven, so setting a time every month that i clean appliances, or do a deep clean of the kitchen is the only way i can seem to remember to do it.
A Lot of tasks simply aren't going to get done everyday, but they will have to be done at some point and having a list of things that need to be done once a month or once a week helps me and can help you to stay on top of them.
7- Stop spending too much time on social media
I could have included this with tip #2 but it really stands on its own. Social media is such an impediment to getting work done. It can distract us, steal our creativity and make us feel like our homes and maybe even our lives just don't measure up. There's a couple ways to deal with this. You can set restrictions on your social media time, you can delete the app from your phone and only have access through a computer or tablet.
One easy way is to go through and delete ALL the people who you no longer wish to follow that don't inspire or inform you. I do this almost every month, I take extended breaks from social media and unfollow anyone who no longer brings value to my feed. It's refreshing to take a break once in a while, if you feel like trying it, I can promise you will feel better without the constant distraction.
8- Be minimal and intentional about homemaking
My home and my mindset shifted so much when I decided to practice a more minimal mindset. It's simple, having a well kept and organized home is impossible if you have too much junk and clutter.
As a homemaker I want to be intentional about where I spend my money but also what enters my home.
It's really shocking looking back at what my home was like before I started simplifying. Homemakers in the past knew how to make due with little, make beautiful homes by keeping them clean and getting creative with their decor.
This type of homemaking can feel distant when we are surrounded by stuff we bought at Walmart and target. If anything, just try taking some decor and clutter out of one room, set it aside in a box out of sight, and feel what the room is like for a couple weeks.
Being intentional with our time and with what we spend our money on is a great mindset that will help you as a homemaker.
9- Stop wasting your energy with busy work
We only have so much energy each day, especially if you're a mom, sometimes our intentions are good but our focus is misplaced. If you spend your time tidying toys when your children will just pull them back out, if you spend your time tidying while the dishes are piling up then you might want to refocus your energy on more productive and valuable tasks.
Do the tasks that have the biggest pay out, do laundry every day, do a deep vacuum and mop, Deep clean the bathroom and kitchen. Focus on the deep cleaning instead of the mindless tidying. If your bathroom and kitchen are clean but toys are strung about the living room that's much better for the health of your home than the toys being cleaned up and the kitchen being dirty. This simple switch makes life so much easier and you will feel far more productive.
10- Just get started
Stop waiting to be struck by motivation or a burst of energy to get started. Motivation comes with momentum , it comes after you've gotten up and got going. So often homemakers and moms ( and everyone else honestly) struggle with staying motivated to do the daily chores. If you look up motivation to clean you will see countless videos and blog posts of people trying to help others get motivated.
But the problem isn't a lack of motivation but instead a misunderstanding of what motivation is, motivation is our desire to get something done, and it often comes after we have already begun our task.
We cannot rely on our feelings to guide us. We must take action and the feelings will follow.
I hope some of these tips can apply to your lifestyle, we are all different but we are all similar.. Please remember that productivity does not equal perfection! Staying productive doesn't mean your home will be spotless 24/7. But will you feel better about your home, your life and your responsibilities? YES!
Because at the end of the day that's what we all want to feel like we can breathe without our endless daily tasks overwhelming us. When we are on top of daily life, we can slow down and take time for the more important things. Like living our life and spending time with loved ones.
