One of the most common questions I get about my personal life is how I balance it all. I am a full-time special education teacher in a K-12 public school. I also run a TPT business full time as well. It can be a lot to manage, but I have 4 tips that help me make the most of my time at home.
Schedule Hours
If you are attempting to work from home but struggling to stay focused, try scheduling hours for yourself. If you know you need to start an IEP on Sunday, schedule a work session from 9:00-10:30 on Sunday morning. Commit to working that 90 minutes, no matter what. Don’t walk your dog. Don’t mindlessly eat. Don’t do a load of laundry. Sit down and work for 90 minutes as if you have a manager watching you. When the 90 minutes is up, stop.
I find that when I treat my time at home as seriously as I do my time in my classroom, I am much more productive. If I just tell myself to work on an IEP on Sunday, I will waste time, get distracted and procrastinate. When I schedule that time for myself, I commit to the time and then take a break when its over. I actually end up working less and getting more done this way. I often schedule a 3-hour work session on Saturday or Sunday mornings, sometimes with my friend Ashely from Spedtacular Days and sometimes on my own. This is how I stay ahead on TPT. I crank out as much as I can in 3 hours, then I stop. I stay productive and enjoy my weekends. Grab my free planning template here!
Create a Defined Work Space
I spent years working on the couch. My dog would crawl in my lap, I would get distracted by the TV and half the time I fell asleep. It took me a long time to figure out that my environment was affecting my productivity. My couch is a place for lounging for me. I can’t get work done there. I am lucky enough to have space in my house to have an office. Don’t get me wrong, half of the room is a storage space but I had plenty of room for a desk, a file cabinet, and a printer. I replaced the TV (total time sucker) with an Amazon Echo Dot (which pretty much continuously plays Norah Jones). I added a humidifier with oil, some decorative pieces and an amazing chair I found at Homegoods. This is my “work” space and I’ve trained myself that when I sit down, its business time. I’m able to focus and work hard for my scheduled hours and then leave the workspace confident in how productive I was.
Get Ready for the Day
This one might sound odd but I like to get dressed and ready for the day before I start working. When I’m still in my pajamas I feel like lounging around. For me, being productive is all about getting in the mindset. If I wear pajamas to my scheduled work session, then I am already saying it is not as important as when I go to school. When I do that, I devalue the time at home and end up being less productive. Even if I just put on leggings and a tunic, I get ready for the day. I quickly put on some makeup and add funky eye buy direct glasses.
Use Pockets of Time
My favorite time to get work in is while dinner is cooking. While dinner simmers, I usually have 20ish minutes free. Rather than laying on the couch scrolling through my phone, I will sit down and get some work done. Again, when I focus on a 20-minute work session and set a goal, I can get ahead on my list. You would be surprised to see how much you can accomplish in 20 minutes. Take 20 minutes a day for 6 days? That is an extra 2 hours a week to be productive!!
**Bonus Tip**
Recruit your husband/boyfriend/wife/girlfriend/best friend/kid who ever is around to help you with more hands-on activities like SPED prep. I truly have one of the best SPED prep husbands out there. I am also frequently asked how I get Corey to help me so much (and no, he is not in education!). Once Corey began to understand how much work I had to do and how helpful the materials I was making was for my students, he started helping. I expressed how much easier my job was with the right resources. I would highlight what a great day we had using the new materials. I would share how much time I saved with his help. I made sure he knew I couldn’t do it without him.
When people are appreciated they will do more. When he felt like I needed him, he was quick to help me. I also always make sure that when he helps, I end it with spending time with him. I don’t finish sped prepping with him and go upstairs to take a bath or scroll through Instagram. I spend the time splitting a beer with him or watching a re-run of The Office. I make sure he gets benefit out of my saved time, which makes him more eager to help me.
I know my life is different. I don’t have kids. I don’t have a second job I have to go to. I get how overwhelmed some of you can be. I hope trying one f these tips helps you ahead!
Thank you!
No problem!