8 Cardinal Self Care Checklist For A Working Mother At Home
"You get the best of both worlds
Chill it out; take it slow
Then you rock out the show
You get the best of both worlds
Mix it all
And you know that it's the best of both worlds
The best of both worlds, yeah..." Hannah Montana, aka Miley Cyrus.
Do you want to rock and enjoy your personal and professional lives? Working mums are no less than Superstars; they know how to juggle two worlds and create wonders every day. But what if you are entangled amid these two realms and don't know how to handle work pressure, health, and family? Let's make some self-care regime to ace the world again.
Even though working from home has many benefits both for the employees and employers, it also has some drawbacks. You may develop several health issues such as neck pain, lower back pain or obesity, and loneliness because of a sedentary lifestyle. Not only health and mental issues, but you may also have some other problems dealing in your daily life, such as social life, peer-to-peer bonding, poor time management, etc.
If you are a mother of a toddler and don't have anyone to look after the kids other than you, coordinating with your clients and seniors may be quite challenging. So, make some planners and maintain a strict professional and personal life routine and take action for it. Here is a few more self-care checklist for a working mother to ease her life and live the best of both worlds.
8 Checklist For A Work From Home Mother
1. Have a Specific Wake Up Time
Impact of sleep disturbance on an individual, whether a woman or a man, after a prolonged day of work can lessen productivity. No matter where you work, whether office or at home, you need to pay attention to your regular sleep intake.
Mothers sitting a long time in front of computers are susceptible to trouble falling asleep, waking up early, or having an irregular sleep at night.
If you are having these issues lately, try to shut your PC or laptop at least 2 hours before you go to bed. If you intake tea or coffee while working, reduce the amount and abstain from taking them after 6 pm. Instead, have some green tea in the morning or when you want to stay alert.
However, you may take some power naps of 10-15 minutes if you feel too tired or unable to concentrate on your project. A brief nap will help your brain relax and be productive for your next task.
Furthermore, maintain a daily routine of going to bed or having a specific sleep time. Having a specific sleeping time is a must-have self-care checklist for a working mother. Even if you don't feel sleepy, try not to use phones or laptops at that time, keep the light dim and play some soothing music to calm your over-anxious mind.
Pro Tip: Try to have dinners at least 2 hours before sleep.
2. Delve into Having an IKIGAI Regularly
You must have read the famous book on the Japanese way of living a long and satisfying life, "IKIGAI." If not, read it in your spare time and see how the book addresses that we all should have an IKIGAI or "The Reason of being." Have you ever thought about your purpose for waking up every day?
Another self-care checklist for a working mother is to find out those purposes and write them down in your notebook. Making a habit of writing your daily goals will help you live to the fullest and make progress day by day.
If you are working from your home, you may save some time every day that you had to spend commuting. Use that extra amount of time, especially early in the morning, and before starting any task, write down your short-term and long-term goals and check whether they match with your Ikigai.
Pro Tip: Try writing your IKIGAI for 21-days to make this a permanent habit.
3. Adopt Some Healthy Living Choices
A mother must do lots of work every day; if she is a working Mumma, gazillions of tasks are waiting for her. You may also have witnessed the feeling of a never-ending to-do list. You are not alone because many women don't know how to make plans for the day and end up performing all and tire themselves out.
Smart working mothers know how to balance their working and personal life. So, they make a list of works based on their importance hierarchy. You can use a small notepad, note down your to-do lists based on their priorities, and train your brain to organize things better.
Don't forget to exercise and perform mindful techniques to relax your body and mind properly. You may try yoga or join a fitness club, Zumba, or gym based on your preference. For mental health, You may develop some new healthy habits such as book reading, meditation, or learning chakra healing.
Pro Tip: Ask yourself about the areas you need to change in your life and try taking small but effective steps.
4. Place Some Indoor Plants in Your Room
Plants indoors can improve your mood and well-being and increase your working efficiency. Many home plants can help purify your room by adsorping toxic substances such as benzene, trichloroethylene, etc., and providing oxygen. According to NASA, you should have 15-18 indoor plants for an 18 hundred sq houses. Based on their availability, you can buy indoor plants such as Aloe Vera, Ficus Plant, Areca, Snake, Tulsi, Bamboo, and others.
Plants release water vapor into the air, which enhances humidity and can help with respiratory and skin health by counteracting the drying effects of heating systems. Those suffering from respiratory issues, headaches, or allergens may find this helpful.
Pro Tip: Research well on indoor plants before buying.
self care checklist for a working mother5. Clean & Declutter the Working Place
A cluttered working place may clutter your brain as well. As per behavioral experts, people with cluttered surroundings are more prone to postpone and have avoidance behavior. This is especially true if we work from home and aren't under the natural strain of being seen by coworkers and superiors. According to research, people who live in congested areas are more likely to acquire poor eating habits, which can damage their cognitive ability.
A cluttered desk might also affect how others view our capacity to work. According to another study, wearing a dirty uniform at work makes workers assume we're less conscientious or cooperative, perhaps hurting our professional relationships. So, cleaning and arranging desks should be on a working mother's self-care checklist.
Pro Tip: Sort out unnecessary things that pile up your desk and keep only those you require the most.
6. Use Color & Music to Boost Your Efficiency
Do you know that colors play a vital role in our moods? Colors such as blue in your workplace can boost your creativity and critical tasks solving skills. The blue color will help you stay calm and relaxed while working. Green is another soothing color for your working place. Try using proper shades to enhance the relaxing effect.
Nothing is more beneficial than music if you want to relax and focus better on your work. Put on some isochronic beats or focus music in your workplace and centralize your attention easily. Music can help your kid calm down too, and researchers said that music is helpful in the brain development of kids.
Pro Tip: Avoid lyrical music during working hours.
7. Eat Healthy Foods
Working moms should never skip their meals. Many working moms work 12-13 hours round the clock and skip breakfast or snacks between the major meals. Try to keep a healthy diet balance and add this to your self-care checklist.
You can have meals in small amounts but frequently. Instead of having three major meals a day, try having two major such as lunch and dinner, and three small meals: ½ hour before lunch, evening snacks, and 1 hour before sleep. Add peanuts, fruits, veggies, and juice to your diet.
As a working mother, you must consume brain foods to stay active throughout the day. Try blueberries, pumpkin seeds, broccoli, dark chocolate, eggs, and more.
Pro Tip: Refrain from eating processed and greasy foods.
8. Cultivate in Hobbies
All work and no play will make you a dull Mumma. So, entertain yourself by indulging in something new such as playing chess with your kids, learning guitar, cooking a new recipe, gardening, photography, and much more. Express your creative sides with drawing, singing, or anything you want to do for a long time.
When you learn new things, your brain makes synapses that will keep you mentally happy and more focused on your work throughout the day.
Pro Tip: To spark your creativity, do some right hemisphere brain exercises such as brushing your teeth with your left hand, etc.
To wrap up, working moms need to stay healthy and active to give their 100 percent. This self-care checklist for a working mother can be customized if you feel to change some other aspects of your life. No power on the earth can stop you from achieving your goal the day you start taking care of yourself. So, start focusing on yourself from today!
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. How Can Working Moms Be More Organized?
To be well-organized, you must make plans for the day and streamline your work for the office or home. You can use online tools or just make hand notes. You can specify the time you will finish it.
Q2. What is a Unicorn Parent?
It is a unique parenting style that some women prefer to have. Like unicorns, these parenting style is also unknown or unseen before. A unicorn mom is never shy about her flaws and has a sense of humor. While other moms live up to societal standards, the unicorn mom doesn't.
Q3. How Often Should a Stay-at-Home Mom Take Breaks?
It depends upon your physical condition and the workload you have. Try to at least roam to the roof or balcony every 2 hours and avoid sitting for too long. Take 1 or 2 power naps if your work schedule lets you do so.
Also Read: Self Care Apps for Peaceful Mind
