How To Survive Working From Home As A Woman

(Hello daughter, mother, sister, and Career woman, you’re doing just fine. Please remember to breathe.)

If you are working from home, chances are you’ve encountered some challenges. But as a woman, you may have encountered a few more than your male colleagues (or you may be about to). Being a woman can be hard enough, but it can be even tougher when you’re in the corporate world.

I recently read an article that said that women are the primary breadwinners in 40% of American families. While this in itself may be good statistics for gender equality, in reality, women working from home have to deal with a lot to be able to show up both remotely and at work, and sometimes it can get overwhelming.

For most women, the pressure of keeping everything in balance is overwhelming. While some of us might be able to handle and survive the situation well, most times, it is not possible. This is why we thought it wise to make this article available for you, which will serve as a guide on how to manage your home activities alongside your job efficiently. Here are some tips for standing out and being taken seriously in the business world when you work remotely like a woman.

Juggling Work And Family Activities Remotely For Women And Mothers

Truth is working from home is not the same as being at home.

As a woman working from home, you face challenges that men don’t face. If you’re in an impromptu scheduled call with your boss, and your child shows up to make a complaint or throw a tantrum (because these kids don’t care even if you’re about to close a thousand dollars deal or contract), how are you going to get them to hush up without looking unprofessional before your client or boss? What if you have a conference call with ten people on the other end of the phone and your child throws up on your lap? You can’t just jump up and leave the call to clean it up!

As a woman, it’s not always easy to make it in the business world, especially if you’re working from home. With more and more women becoming entrepreneurs and starting their businesses, and landing high-paying remote roles, the competition is fierce and can be difficult to keep up with.

Laura (name changed) once confided in me about the pressure she has had to wing just by being a work-from-home mom and wife.

“Sometimes, I feel like I have to be on call all the time, 24 hrs, 7 days a week, and the pressure can create a gap between my work productivity when matched with my male counterparts. When I ” end” my work for the day, my husband and children expect me to switch into mom mode. I don’t know how to tell them that even though I’m home, I’m still at work, only now I’m working as a mom instead of an employee. And it’s hard to walk away from my computer after an eight-hour workday and immediately turn around and tackle household chores. It’s exhausting!”

It was the same challenge Nancy (name changed) shared with me, during our conversation together. According to her,

“I’ve tried talking with my husband about it, but he doesn’t understand why it’s so hard when he just takes off his tie and relaxes when he gets home. How can I make my family understand that working from home is not the same as being at home?”

A lot of us can resonate with Nancy and Laura so well because this is the narrative of so many women across the world.

A friend of mine recently revealed that she had been working remotely for more than three years. I was floored. She had always been an enigma to me. She is a mother of three, home-schools her children, and has an active social life. When she told me that she works from home, I thought, “I’m not sure how you do it all.”

When I asked how she accomplished this, her secret was simply scheduling and organization.

My friend says that organization is the key to achieving balance in her life. She makes a schedule for the week, including all the things she had to do for work as well as for herself and her family. This schedule contains everything: wake-up times; meals; meetings; schoolwork; chores; exercise; quiet time; and even playtime.

Scheduling even eating and conversational time within her home helps her set up a thriving remote work/home balance! Yours might not be the case.

For instance, you may be a work-from-home mom with a demanding job as well as a husband with a full-time on-site job, and every time, you’re required to be available 24/7. This can be difficult because at times you may have to attend meetings after work or take care of your kids’ extracurricular activities. It is important to make sure that everyone’s needs are met simultaneously so that nobody feels neglected or unimportant in your home.

Here are a few tips for women who work from home. These tips can help you stay on top of your game and keep you feeling confident both in your career and family.

Working From Home Tips For Moms And Women In General

1. Set Boundaries

The best way to handle home activities alongside your job is by setting boundaries and sticking to them. A great way to do this is by making a list of each task that needs to be completed, then numbering them based on priority. You don’t have to choose between being a good employee and being a good mother, you just need to learn how not to let one interfere with the other.

Establish boundaries with friends and family members who don’t understand what it means to be a working parent or who ask questions like “can’t you just work from home?” Explain that when you are at work, you are at work. You can’t do laundry or make dinner while answering emails.

2. Create a Schedule

Take time daily to create a schedule. You need to take time off each day to write down a plan on what you intend to do during the day; whether at work or home. It might seem like an arduous task but it can go a long way in helping you keep track of your activities every day. Remember, some things need urgent attention and would require you to rearrange your schedule for them.

For instance, at home, I try to balance my responsibilities as a daughter and employee. I do this by making sure that my family is involved in all of the work I have to do. For example, if I have an important deadline coming up, I will ask my family to help me plan my schedule for the week so we can set aside time for everyone’s needs.

3. Separate Work and Home Areas

Another tip is making sure that your work and home areas are separate from each other. This way you can focus when there isn’t anything else going on around you! It also keeps you sane during those crazy moments when everything goes wrong at once (and you know it happens).

4. Take Breaks

This has worked well for most families and women as taking breaks throughout the day is imperative. If you don’t give yourself time off from both jobs then there will be burnout and resentment towards either one or both!

5. Be Present in the Moment

With your kids and with your work. When you are working, stop thinking about what you need to get done at home and vice versa. Being present in the moment will allow you to focus on the task at hand without distraction.

6. Remember that Nothing is Perfect and Something is Always Going to Suffer

Whether it’s the dishes or an important email chain. When this happens, don’t beat yourself up about it! It’s not worth stressing over something so trivial in the big picture of life. Just learn from your mistakes, move forward, and give yourself grace when needed.

8. Connect with Other Women Working Remotely

Another thing to do is network with other women at your job. You can do this by participating in forums or other online activities where you can connect with other women in the same field as you are. This is also a great way to help build each other up and encourage each other when times get tough.

Make sure that you’re following up on emails and keeping up-to-date with any professional events or meetings that might benefit from your presence at them. You never know when someone will ask for advice or assistance–it could mean more business for both parties involved!

9. Take Care of your Health

Overload kills a lot of people. As a stay-at-home mom, you already have a lot on your plate. Don’t force yourself into a work-from-home position where you’ll have to put in long hours to make a decent living. You won’t be able to prove your worth at work or home until your health cooperates. Take care of your health by eating on time and getting enough sleep.

Choose work that allows you to rest and refresh, rather than work that is complicated to complete on time. Work from home employment is designed to help women rediscover their confidence, restart their careers, and become financially self-sufficient to some level.

As a result, you must take care of yourself. Just like with any job, it’s easy to get burnt out if you don’t take care of yourself properly. Make sure you have time set aside every day just for you—whether it’s going on a walk or watching your favorite TV show—you need time that’s just for you so that you don’t feel overwhelmed.

10. Create the Right Atmosphere

The first thing to think about is how you can use your office space to create an aura of authority and productivity. If you’re on a conference call, make sure the backdrop behind you conveys an air of professionalism—no piles of laundry or dirty dishes!

Also make sure that if you’re talking on speakerphone, it’s not too loud or too quiet—you want to find the right volume level so that everyone can hear what’s being said but no one is being blasted by static or left wondering if they’re still connected.

11. Be Seen and Heard

It is important in any work-from-home situation to communicate clearly and regularly with your coworkers and bosses. Because working from home is often seen as less demanding than going into an office every day, it is important for women who are telecommuting to be extra vigilant about checking in with their supervisors so that they don’t get lost or left behind on company activities.

One of the biggest things to remember is that your voice matters. As a woman, sometimes you’re told that you need to quiet down or be seen and not heard, but that’s simply not true. If you have an opinion about something or something isn’t fair, stand up for yourself and speak boldly.

12. Stay Organized

Don’t let your home office become a messy place with papers, books, and other things scattered around. Keep everything organized, including your laptop and all accessories that come with it. A good way to do this is by using folders or file cabinets so that you can easily find what you need when you need it. This helps keep things tidy while also giving you an easy place to store important documents like contracts or receipts.

13. Dress Appropriately at all Times

When calling into meetings over video. Even though no one will see what you’re fully wearing, dressing professionally will help put others at ease because they’ll know they’re dealing with someone who takes her job seriously—and who wants them to take her seriously too!

Some Other Wholesome Work From Home Tips

• Shower every day.
• Set up an email auto-response so that customers and colleagues will know not to expect an immediate reply from you when you have to step away from your computer for a few minutes.
• Invest in a good pair of noise-canceling headphones for times when the dog is barking or the kids are screaming for your attention.
• Delegate tasks whenever possible.
• Volunteer for menial tasks like taking notes or doing research. This will show that you’re willing to do what it takes to get things done at work (even if it isn’t glamorous).

All images are sourced from unsplash.com