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July 11, 2016 0 Comments

5 Tips for Healthy Eating When You Work From Home

Even though working from home allows you to generally eat whatever you want anytime, sometimes that can make it a struggle to stay healthy! In a traditional work setting, the issues usually revolve around takeout and convenience foods, while working from home can create poor eating habits and all day snacking.  Read along for some tips to stay healthy as a home based worker.

Keep healthy food

Keep healthy food options in the house – and visible.  Buy a nice fruit bowl and keep fruit right at the kitchen entrance, or purchase pre-cut fruits and veggies for the week.  As long as you have healthy options available, it’s much easier to stay on track.

Avoid temptations

If you struggle with all day eating or simply snacking on the wrong foods, do your best to keep temptations out of the house during the week.  It doesn’t have to be painful! Think of what you can include in your diet – fresh fruits, veggies, whole grain crackers, protein – versus what you have to eliminate.  You can always have whatever you choose, it’s just better for health and productivity to make most of that food healthy.

Find something fun

Find something fun to look forward to! This doesn’t have to be food, but it certainly can be. Why not plan evening trips to a new park with your kids, or another healthy activity that teaches them good habits.  You can also meet a friend at a new healthy eatery – this is something to look forward to that fits your goals and allows you to socialize as well!

Structure it

Make a plan and stick to it! It’s much easier for your time and productivity levels to have meals planned out as well.  On Saturday or Sunday, make a plan for the week, create your grocery list, and head to the store.  You can do all of the cooking for the week in a few hours, and then everything is pre-packaged and ready to go.  When you make a plan with anything in life, your goals tend to get met and unexpected challenges that come up are much less likely.

Meal plans are also incredibly helpful for families, as your kids can also participate and give healthy meal ideas.  This also allows them to learn about cooking, clean eating, and fun snacks that are always available.

Remember your goals

Your goals do not need to have anything to do with weight loss, but feeling good while working from home is a noble one. When we eat better, we feel better! Shift your focus from “bad” foods and deprivation to really fueling your body for a productive, happy workday, and feel free to include treats whenever you choose.  This process is really about what you’ll do most of the time, and what will allow you to feel your best when it would be easier to simply avoid healthy eating in the home.

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March 29, 2016 0 Comments

4 Tips for Time Management Success

Time management is a hot topic, especially for those of us who work from home.  It can be tough to plan your day – with kids and pets nearby and the distracting items of being at home (think TV, radio, interruptions, and so on!)  All of this can make managing time a full-time job.

Read along for some best practices in time management skills that will allow you more productivity and extra time to do the things you love.

Set your hours

As much as possible, set your work hours to remain consistent throughout the week.  If 9-5 works for you and your family, set it early and work around those times.  If 2-10 works better for your lifestyle, that might be the way to go as well.  Time management also maximizes what’s best for your lifestyle, family, and other obligations, so factor that in from the get go.

Set your time

Set an alarm or timer for each task that you complete.  If you need to do three things for one client, accomplish one, move on to the next client, and so on.  Of course, it’s necessary to designate these tasks in order of priority, but you can still set your time.

This will allow you to manage time so you’re allocating enough hours and minutes in the day for each task, helping them to get completed on time.

Multitask – to a degree

Over time, various sources have started proving that multitasking isn’t as good as it was cracked up to be; it can eliminate focus and draw your attention from what you started.

Even though multitasking gets a bad rap, you can do it in a productive manner – especially if you work from home! It’s not difficult to throw in a load of laundry, set your timer for your next task(s), and then retrieve it at the end.  While lunch is in the microwave, run the sweeper briefly.  It even becomes fun to work chores and other to do items into your time schedule.  This is yet another benefit of working from home, and it allows you to truly manage your work and home life time more efficiently.

See where your time is spent

Take a good look at where your time is currently being spent and evaluate it.  It’s not always easy, but it’s crucial to trim some time here and there, just as you would trim your budget or amend your health and fitness routine if it weren’t working.

Make sure that you’re billing your hours and accounting for all time spent on certain tasks.  When you track where your time is spent, you may realize that you’re spending more time on one task when you thought it was a quick, 30-minute item.

Time management is all about evaluating what needs done, where you’re currently spending your time, and how it can be used more effectively.

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February 2, 2016 0 Comments

3 Tips for Work From Home Health

You might think that a home based career would be better for your health, and it can be – if you do it correctly! It can actually be easier to eat less healthy foods and continue to work all the time when you work from home.  To avoid mental and physical burnout, focus on the tips below for your best health from home!

Stop on time

Mental health is just as important as physical health when you work from home! It’s important to stop working at a certain time most days, or rearrange your schedule so that you’re working a certain number of hours per day.  When your work is just your laptop, it can be tempting to continue work throughout your whole day and night, but that mental break is so important.

Separate work from home and keep yourself mentally strong and focused by shutting down your work each night.  Just as an employee in a traditional office would go home at the end of the day, you should do the same!

Establish a routine

Create a workout routine that is sustainable for you and your lifestyle. Often times, we start out with overly ambitious goals of working out at 4:30 AM, but if that doesn’t suit your body, family, or work schedule, this isn’t an option.

Whether you choose to leave the house for fitness classes or the gym, or simply a strong practice at home – keep at it! We stay healthy when we commit to a routine that’s enjoyable and doable.  Set aside time in your day, just as you would any important meeting, and make fitness a priority in your day.

Keep it healthy

When you work from home, it’s even more tempting to search the fridge every hour.  Just like you’ll be creating a fitness schedule, keep your eating on a semi-regular schedule as well.  If you find you’re an unhealthy snacker, only keep healthy foods in the house.  Set yourself up for success, and keep meal times and foods on a schedule that keeps you feel energized.  This also helps you avoid eating all day, which can lead to weight gain and low energy fairly quickly!

On the other side of the equation, be sure you’re eating enough to keep your energy up! Since oyu don’t have the bustling energy of an office or in-person employees and employers, it’s important to keep yourself going to stay motivated.

Create mental space in your day, establish a sustainable fitness routine, and plan to eat healthy when you work from home – these tips will ensure that you’re in your best shape mentally and physically in your home based career!

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January 11, 2016 0 Comments

4 Steps to a Great To-Do List

The to-do list is a much talked about item, and that’s for good reason. Especially when working from home, staying on a schedule and keeping on task is crucial. Rarely is someone going to be managing your every move, which makes a to-do list a priority!

You can create a standard list to get through each day, but creating more of a “system” with your to-do list makes it more likely to stick.  Here are a few best practices for creating to-do lists that work with you.

Coordinate for you

Color coordinating is a great way to organize your list.  You can do this by client, task, priority, and so on. Although it’s useful, color coding isn’t for everyone, but you do need to find some type of system that works for you.

If you’re more visual, color coding is a great idea. If you like to group things by task, a more segmented list might be better for you.  Play around with your lists for a few days at a time to determine the best fit.

Prioritize

Whichever list you choose, prioritizing will be a constant necessity.  For example, do you have a specific task due on Friday? Be sure you aren’t placing that over an email piece due on Wednesday!

You’ll get in the flow of your tasks and priorities as your home based career continues.  You can always modify a list – sometimes it’s helpful to create one on the web via Google Docs or utilize a Word Document so you can change easily.

Repetition is key

Your to-do list isn’t going to be helpful if you use it for one week then quit. Get into the habit of adding every major (or even minor) task to your list. It’s truly an exercise in organization, and organization prevents you from missing items.  

It can take a few weeks to really get in the habit of using your list, but once you do, you will find that you’ll be storing far more information on your page and less in your brain.  This allows you to be more efficient and keep your mind on the tasks you need to complete.

Cross it out

Crossing off your items is half the fun! Not only does it allow you to keep track and feel accomplished, it can be important in billing your clients and employers.

The to-do list keeps track of your work, so be sure you’re giving yourself the credit by acknowledging when it’s done. If something is halfway completed, you can always update and make a note indicating the change.  These small movements in your list give you a sense of achievement throughout the day, and with longer projects, it can keep you feeling positive about your status.

A to-do list is always a must-have, and it can truly work for you in your work from home career.  Create one that works with your personality and work habits, prioritize what’s important, repeat daily, and cross it off – you’re well on your way to to-do list (and productivity) success!

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December 7, 2015 0 Comments

5 Tips for Home Based Work During the Holiday Season

It can be a challenge to juggle working from home during the holiday season. You’re doing your best to complete your tasks, but since your workspace is your home environment, this can get tricky this time of year. However, working from home has its flexibility perks, and you’ll be able to attend those Christmas concerts and holiday events with just a few tweaks of your schedule.

The holidays are a special time of year, so it’s important to recognize that and participate fully. On the other hand, work can pick up before the end of the year, so read along for some tips to manage both effectively.

Keep a normal daily schedule

As much as possible, plan ahead and keep a normal daily schedule. The more you can do this in the days surrounding the actual holidays, the more relaxed you can be on your days off.  Create a schedule now and do your best to prioritize as the holiday season moves along.

Hire some help

If your workload is too demanding right now or you want more time for friends and family during the holidays, consider hiring some help. You can find a great virtual assistant right here at HireMyMom.com. Need help with kids? Look for college students home for the holidays. They can also help with wrapping gifts, organizing your home / office and even help with some home office tasks that you’ve gotten behind on. 

Make time for what’s important

Work will always be there – but the holidays won’t be. Make time for what’s important, especially this time of year. If you have to work a weekend afternoon to be able to attend a holiday event, it’s worth the extra effort. Cherish the memories that the holidays help create. You’ll look back someday and be glad you did!

Schedule something special

Since your home is your workspace, it can feel like the day goes from work to celebration central in a matter of ours! Schedule some special outings, occasions, shows, and so on for this time of year. It feels good to get out of the house, and you can still use your home for those cozy nights over hot chocolate, good movies, and gift wrapping.

Don’t stress out

Overall, don’t stress out too much! It can seem like the work is piling up this time of year and that it will never stop.  2016 will be here before we know it, and all we can do is our best to complete the rest of 2015.

Create your schedules, make time for what’s important, and minimize stress for a fun and efficient holiday season!

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June 25, 2015 0 Comments

4 Home Workout Options for Busy Moms

Staying fit while working from home is a priority, but leaving the house to hit the gym can feel impossible most of the time! Between your home-based career, family, and other hobbies, there has to be a better option out there.  Home workouts for busy moms are the answer, and they can be just as challenging, useful, and productive as gym workouts.

While you may be a busy mom, maintaining your health is so crucial to caring for the rest of your family and successfully doing your job. Check out some of these excellent, low cost, effective options to integrate into your home workouts.

Barre3

Barre3 is said to “balance, strengthen, and lengthen the body with moves inspired by ballet, yoga and Pilates.”  While you can go to numerous Barre3 studios across the country, they also offer affordable online videos to complete with just a waist-level surface, light weights, and a yoga mat.  This workout will leave you feeling replenished – not depleted – and you’ll have access to a library of hundreds of videos ranging from 10-60 minutes in length.  Barre3 is best for those wanting a unique workout that gives you strength and cardio without the exhaustion.

There are a few free workouts available and monthly subscriptions start at $10.

Daily Burn

Daily burn describes itself as “the best streaming workouts from elite trainers, available any time on any device.” Daily Burn has everything from kettlebells to cardio and yoga workouts.  They pride themselves on the variety of workouts available on the site, as well as nutrition and general health advice. This program is best for busy moms who want to mix it up daily with some of the best trainers for an affordable price.

You can do a 30-day free trial and then membership is $10 per month.

YouTube Workouts

YouTube workouts are excellent, as you can find many videos done by well-known trainers and they’re free! Some of the best channels are Jessica Smith TV, Blogilates, Tone It Up, Fitness Blender, and BeFit, just to name a few.

These workouts often offer a lot of variety as well, and you can get your cardio, strength, yoga and Pilates without spending any money or leaving the house.

If you want more than what the channels offer, the top trainers often also have DVDs and downloads available for purchase.

FitnessGlo & YogaGlo

FitnessGlo offers everything from Strength to Tabata to High Intensity Interval Training, along with 8-week structured programs to ensure that you’re getting a well-rounded workout program.  You can search workouts by Style, Instructor, Duration, and Level, allowing you to customize your workout on a daily basis.

FitnessGlo offers a 15-day free trial and then costs $12 per month.

YogaGlo is the yoga version of FitnessGlo, offering affordable yoga classes from some of the biggest names in the business.  You can also search this site through a variety of filters, and you have the option of classes that are 5-120 minutes in length.

YogaGlo offers a 15-day free trial and then costs $18 per month.

(Image courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net)

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June 25, 2015 0 Comments

4 Tips to Stay Motivated Working From Home

Staying motivated during the workday can be especially tough when your home is your office. When you go to an office, it’s a little bit easier to stay on task with the structure of your day, management presence, and the office environment itself.

Although it’s a challenge to create a routine that will work to provide motivation, it’s essential to complete your necessary tasks and stay focused. Here are some best practices on how to stay motivated when working from home.

Dress Up

When you work in an office, there’s no choice but to dress appropriately. Although home-based careers allow you the freedom of clothing choice, you’ll be much more motivated if you continue to dress for the office. You don’t have to go all out, but doing your hair, makeup, and wearing casual to business casual clothing can help.  Dressing in sweatpants is incredibly comfortable, but doesn’t always do much to keep us motivated.

Create a Schedule

Schedules are key, especially when you work from home! You really have to strive to keep your work life and home life separate, so scheduling your time, appointments, and tasks is crucial to success. Make a schedule at the beginning of the week, and continue to move items down the list if you don’t complete them on a certain day. When you see your week laid out, it removes the overwhelm and tells you exactly what you need to be doing.  It’s easier to keep the motivation going when you can charge through your schedule.

Give Yourself Time Off

Whether it’s a 10-minute break or a few days off, you need to relax and recharge. When motivation is seriously waning, it’s typically because we haven’t had enough time to unplug. Taking a few short breaks during the day should go without saying, but add them to your schedule anyway! It’s always fun to take a quick walk, grab a snack, or get some fresh air.  When you need more recharging, make sure you’re taking time off to relax or spend time with family. Especially when you work from home, it can start to feel like you spend all your time in your home environment.  Keep your health intact by scheduling the appropriate amount of time off from work.

Do Something Fun

If you’re feeling unmotivated or your weeks are starting to run together, mix up your routine a bit. Call a friend or colleague and meet up for lunch, or take some of your calls outside, if at all possible. When you can change just the slightest parts of your routine, it can remove the monotony and spike motivation quickly!

(Image courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net)

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April 1, 2015 0 Comments

How to Stay Social When You Work From Home

The first thing you may notice about working from home is the lack of social interaction! You may be feeling some social isolation. Even if you’re very busy during the day, not talking with others can be tough. This isn’t the case for everyone, as many of us have children, numerous calls, social engagements, and so on, but it’s important to make social interaction a regular part of your daily life.

To avoid the habit of not speaking to others for hours or days at a time, follow these simple tips below.

  • Get Out and About: If you’re able to, try taking your work to a coffee shop or local business with Wi-Fi a few times per week. The change of scenery is always helpful and may make you even more productive! This also forces you to get ready, get out of the house, and arrange the outing into your schedule – all things that may help you feel more likely yourself in a home-based position.
  • Schedule Your Social: Planning social outings and activities becomes even more important without the workplace friendships and opportunities available in a traditional office job. Plan social or networking events at least 1-2 nights per week, as this will keep you from getting bored and lacking social interaction during the day. Often times there are networking events that take place over lunch, so those may be a great option too. Try Meetup.com for networking events in your area.
  • Talk with Friends: When you get a break, try to chat with your friends. Send a text, schedule a quick call, or just chat briefly on Gmail Chat, Facebook Messenger, or any other chat feature. This allows you to break up your day, laugh with a friend, and maintain your social relationships.
  • Interact with Other Home-Based Workers: There are groups, such as the HireMyMom.com Facebook page, that have a large collection of home-based working moms and people. They can offer tips and advice and lend an ear when you might want to chat. It’s a great idea to cultivate friendships among groups like this, since working from home is not extremely common. It’s nice to have someone who knows what you’re going through, and who also understands that social interaction is key to a happy, successful life – especially in the home-based working realm.

So, the next time you’re working from home and feeling social isolation, get out of your chair and onto the phone to call a friend for a chat or a coffee date.

Check out these other great articles about staying healthy as a work from home professional. Also check out our current job postings for mom professionals.

(Image courtesy of Serge Bertasius at freedigitalphotos.net)

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March 30, 2015 0 Comments

3 Tips to Separate Work-from-Home from Home

When you work, it can be very difficult to separate work from your personal life. But if you work from home? It’s even more difficult! Since you work from home all day, the lines can begin to blur between work projects and home tasks. There’s so much talk about balance and separating work from home and make them both work smoothly, and it can be done with some deliberate action.

Although working from home will always be unique and lend itself to a different kind of workday, there are a few ways to keep your career as your career and your home life as your personal life.

Start and Stop

Have a set start and stop time. This is very difficult when we work from home, since we can get emails, hop on our computer, and complete a task. When you work in a traditional office, it’s much more difficult to go to the office, unpack your stuff, and get to work.

Secondly, keep your evenings for personal obligations and relaxation. It’s important to your mental and physical health keep your evenings open. If you work in a home-based job that is considered 2nd or 3rd shift, that’s different, but you still need a section of time when you aren’t working. As with traditional office jobs, there will be days when working late isn’t an option, but keep it the exception instead of the rule.

Designate and Separate

It’s a common tip with home-based careers, but that’s because it’s so very true. Do your best to designate a separate room for your work, meaning that you should avoid working on your living room or dining room, and make work feel like a work setup. This also makes tip #1 a bit easier, since you’ll physically have to leave your workspace to move on to the rest of your night.

Save the Housework

It’s so tempting to look around, see what all needs to be done in the home, and start to take action. While a few breaks when you pick up a few annoying items is okay, avoid full cleaning until you’re done with work. Again, this keeps you in “work mode” and allows your off work time to be much more productive. This should also make it easier to ignore those housework items that you just can’t seem to get to, since this way, they’re off limits when working anyway.

Working from home provides some challenges when trying to balance work-from-home and home life, but it’s not impossible! Do your best to separate the two, and take steps to make your day feel more like a traditional workday.

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March 23, 2015 0 Comments

4 Tips to Spring Clean Your Job

Spring is here and it’s time to change out the old for the new! Spring cleaning your job is a lot like spring cleaning your life. We spend many hours at work, so it’s important that we renew there as well. While we often see cleaning as tedious and something we have to do, it can actually be refreshing and a great way to move into spring and summer.

With this spring cleaning job list and tips, you can get a fresh restart. With the first of the year out of sight, some of us have fallen back into old routines. While routine is great for productivity, we often let the little housekeeping things slide. When we take some time to get these items in place, we feel so much better! As Spring is now among us, it’s time to clear out the old and establish fresh habits.

Dust Off Your Desk

This is an actual cleaning tip! Do more than just dust – do a good deep clean of your work area. Cleaning may never be fun, but we all work better when our workspace is clean and functional. Use products that smell good and create a sense of wellbeing. If you’re really feeling like you need a change in your office, consider investing in a nice, new chair or another supportive office tool or device.

Start a New Notebook

Who doesn’t love the fresh pages of a new notebook? Start a new paper, notepad, or online document where you can keep track of your daily list(s). Keep one for home and one for business. Starting fresh means prioritizing, keeping things separated and organized, and preparing for upcoming tasks and events.

File Away

We get in the habit of keeping stacks of papers and important information on our desks and in random cabinets. When you get into your job spring cleaning, don’t forget to file! Filing is important, and it keeps all of our paperwork organized. Whether you file actual papers or online copies, file everything. If you aren’t one to file, or you simply don’t have a system in place yet, now is the time. Create a filing and organizational system that will work for you, and one that you will actually do on a daily or weekly basis. If you file and organize as you go, it’s much less overwhelming than starting with a huge stack of papers every single time.

Decide for the Future

With spring cleaning comes a sense of renewal and starting over. What do you want to accomplish in the upcoming year? If that’s too broad of a question, focus your wants and desires on your job and organizational tasks. How could you be more organized? What systems make sense to me? Should I look into a professional organizer or online program that might help me to be more functional? Working smarter is key to eliminate having to work harder. Give yourself that gift this spring – an organized, smarter, and more productive work life!

Check out these other great articles about home-based jobs as a work from home professional. Also check out our home-based job descriptions and current job postings for mom professionals.

(Image courtesy of twobee at freedigitalphotos.net)

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