One area of the economy that is growing is the freelance economy. A significant portion of this economy is made up of young mothers who have decided to put their children first. Full-time jobs often don’t provide the flexibility required to properly take care of a child. Rather than deal with it, mothers have decided to take a stand by going into business for themselves.
This isn’t always easy. There are a range of obstacles you’ll have to contend with when becoming a work-at-home mom. In this article, we’re going to discuss five of the key strategies needed to prosper whilst working from home.
- Make a Place
You should carve a designated workspace out for yourself. This must be somewhere where you’ll do nothing other than work. You need to do this because it physically and mentally separates you from work. It’s vital that you make this distinction so you can concentrate on your latest project.
- Chunky Working
Naturally, you’re going to have to juggle the responsibilities of taking care of your children and work. You don’t have to complete all your work in a single session, like you would with a normal job. Break up your time into chunks and work when the kids have gone to bed or when they’re at school.
Figure out at what time of the day you’re most productive and work around that. Only you know when you’re more likely going to produce your best work.
- Change the Way You Role
There’s nothing that sends a freelancer into a frenzy more than someone inconsiderate who doesn’t understand that you actually do have a job at home. If you’re going to be working and taking care of the children, you need to have a serious talk with your family. They need to understand that when you’re working they can’t disturb you for anything other than the emergencies.
It may also mean altering your routines. For example, your partner may have to shoulder some of the household chores for a change. It’s all about changing people’s perceptions of you and what you do.
- You’re Going to Screw Up…Badly
We always want to be perfect. When we decide to transition from the corporate office to the comfort of our own homes, we’d like to think the transition will be easy and perfect. This isn’t the case and it never will be the case.
Don’t be so hard on yourself because something is going to go wrong. An emergency dental appointment might appear, or someone might fall ill. These things will hurt your ability to work. It’s easy to beat yourself up, but the best freelancers simply adapt to the situation instead.
- Pay Attention to Yourself
Your health is the most important aspect of yourself. Without your health, you’re going to impede your ability to work and take care of your children, therefore defeating the point of becoming a freelancer in the first place.
Without the strict schedule of a steady and stable job in the city, it’s easy to develop unhealthy eating and sleeping habits. Always prioritise your own health before anything else. You’re your most powerful tool, and if you’re laid up in bed you can’t do much.
Managing life as a freelancer with a child is about being organised and flexible. To an outsider, it might look like you’re hanging on for dear life, but experienced freelancers are always in control. Understand that it might take some time to get used to, but in the long-term you’re going to reap the benefits of being a professional freelancer working from home.
Work at Home Journey 
