COVID-19 lockdowns have forced many businesses to shift to a remote work setup. For more than a year now, employees have been working from home and adjusting to the new normal.
The uncertainty brought by the pandemic has been taking a toll on everyone’s health and well-being. Work-from-home employees have reached the point of burnout due to various factors, including the stress that they experience at work and the anxiety that comes from the possibility of getting infected by the coronavirus.
Social isolation is also a big factor that’s affecting each employee’s mental health. Since COVID-19 health and safety protocols prevent groups of people from gathering in one place, it’s impossible to hold social events and activities where employees can have fun and enjoy themselves.
Maintaining a work-life balance has always been a big struggle for workers, and with the current circumstances due to the pandemic, it has become more challenging and complicated to achieve that. As a result, nearly four million U.S. workers quit their job in April based on the report by the U.S. Department of Labor.
There’s an increasing number of female workers among the working population who are resigning from their jobs. According to the National Women’s Law Center, more than 2.3 million women have left the workforce since the start of the pandemic in the U.S.
The ongoing trend of mass resignation is very alarming, which is why it’s important to know how to work effectively at home while in the middle of this global health crisis. Here, we’ll focus on how to help working moms achieve a healthy work-life balance.
Work-Family Conflict During the Pandemic
Working moms play multiple roles: an efficient employee, a loving mother, and a supportive wife. It’s no secret that many people are calling working moms “supermoms” because of their amazing ability to manage all of their responsibilities.
Before the pandemic happened, the boundary between work and personal life was much clearer. After all, workers used to go to the office and focus on their tasks during work hours. After their shift, they leave the office and go somewhere to have fun with colleagues and friends or relax at home with their family.
Today, the place where they get to choose how they spend their own time is also where they have to work. For working mothers, this means that they have to juggle household chores and child care while making sure that they’re productive at work.
As most parents know, raising a kid demands attention and a lot of time. If your child asks for your help even when you’re in the middle of a virtual meeting, you need to find a way to attend to their needs.
Furthermore, as a parent, it’s also your responsibility to ensure that remote learning works for your child. While tuition agency is such a great relief, parents also take some duties and responsibilities that teachers have such as guiding students on using online study materials.
Effective Strategies for Working Moms to Achieve Work-Life Balance
Work-family conflicts are making it more challenging and stressful for working moms. Having to take care of many things at home and work causes them to neglect themselves. To help you resolve this problem, here are three effective ways you can manage being a work-from-home mom amid the COVID-19 crisis:
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Have a self-care routine
Self-care means that you should give time to prioritize yourself and your needs. Developing a routine is an effective way to make sure that you practice self-care daily. Make sure that you’re eating healthy food, getting enough sleep, and taking care of your physical and mental health.
If you want to pamper yourself, you can get a haircut, buy some beauty products, or undergo procedures to improve your health and appearance. For example, if you have misaligned teeth that have been bothering you for a while now, you can consider getting braces and schedule a consultation with an orthodontist. This will not only make your smile more beautiful but will also help you maintain good oral health.
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Use productivity tools
There are many free online apps available that working moms can use to manage their workload more efficiently. For example, you can use software for project management, calendar management, time tracking, or communication and collaboration.
By using an online tool, you can easily check your work progress and prioritize tasks accordingly. You can be at ease that you have things in order instead of worrying whether you’ve missed doing anything important.
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Practice self-compassion
People all over the world are trying to survive and make ends meet during these difficult times. Some things that used to be easy to do are now much harder to accomplish. You may experience a lot of failures, which can lead to self-blame and other negative emotions.
This is why it’s more important than ever to practice self-compassion. Be kind to yourself, and adjust your expectations. It would be best to ask for help from other family members when you think that you already have too much on your plate.
Of course, being a supermom is something that you can be proud of. But keep in mind that you don’t have to carry the burden alone. Acknowledge that you need support to stay productive at work, take care of your family, and most importantly, take care of your own well-being.
