The unproductive SAHM...
I’m coming to the end of my first month as stay at home mum. I feel like I’ve stepped in to a parallel universe. Naively thinking I would have much more time on my hands and get a lot of chores done, I’m surprised that I’m far less productive. In my new way of life, I thought ‘I will have decluttered this house by mid Jan’.
Working life was addressed with a sense of urgency, deadline driven, and my thoughts consumed with ticking off my to do list. Now, I’m more mentally present with my 4 kids (including the twins above) which they’re definitely enjoying, but writing a mental to do list is tricky. Days roll by and I realise that I still haven’t completed ‘that’ task. I’m never sat at a desk, even replying to texts and emails takes days. The pace of life is slower but bizarrely the days go by much faster (perhaps because they are within the hours of the school day).
So I asked the wonderful group over at The Career Mum (come and join us)for some advice and top tips
Carson Tate Have offered to assess my personal productivity style. This will help me understand how to be most effective with my approach.
When starting a new job, you may get a standard operating procedure (SOP), introduced to processes or someone to shadow you. It appears I’m expected to intuitively know how to do this job! Once I’ve figured it out maybe I’ll write a process 😂. I’m asking the experts and building my own work instructions.
It has been suggested that I need to use my Mums journal every Sunday night, planning the week, including my personal goals and family meals.
As I’m still attending interviews, speaking on panels etc I may plan an hour at my desk each day to undertake the actions needed here.
Meal prepping is even more important than when you are working. I frequently realise that I’ve not eaten and it’s 2.30. I have never been someone who forgets to eat!
As this is a job, I will allow myself breaks. No one is expected to slog all day.
I’ll update you how I’m going in a month... or if I’ve thrown in the towel and returned to a better paid job!
Thanks for reading.
Amanda@thecareermum.co.uk