10 powerful time saving Hacks for Single mother
There are so many times when I’ve heard time-saving strategies, time management, lessons, tips, tactics, hacks, whatever it is. But most of the time as a working single mom they’re not super applicable, especially when you are maybe working from home when you have kids when you have a life outside of business.
I once heard one of my friends say that she wouldn’t take time management tips or strategies from someone who didn’t have kids. And I think that there can be a lot of wisdom in that.
But I’ve spent the last few years looking for fantastic ways to become more efficient with my time and more productive ways to make time management work for me as a single mom and so I’ve compiled a ton of strategies that are super super helpful for actually effectively managing time.
I am a single mother and I am not whole time home with my kids. While I’m working at home, we do have a nanny and I share that because I know a lot of times we see people giving us all of this advice and they don’t share that they have support. Asking for support is never a bad idea.
So I want to be super transparent here that I have a lot of support when it comes to watching the kids. However, I chose 10 Fantastic powerful time saving strategies, time management strategies, productivity strategies that work even if your kids are at home.
Alright, so I wanted to share this today. I know this is gonna be so powerful for so many single mothers out there. So let’s get started.
Powerful Time Saving Hacks for Single Moms:
This is a comprehensive list of strategies I personally employ to enhance my productivity. As an individual with ADHD, I have chosen not to medicate and have instead developed effective techniques to manage and cope with my condition on a daily basis.
1. The Pomodoro Technique
One of the most impactful tools I use is setting timers for tasks, particularly utilizing the Pomodoro technique. This unique Pentagon Pomodoro timer allows me to visually represent the amount of time I allocate for specific tasks.
By doing so, I am able to stay focused and complete tasks more efficiently. For instance, while recording this message, I may allocate 15 or 30 minutes to ensure timely completion.
The timer acts as a reminder, preventing me from getting distracted and allowing me to maintain my productivity.
Additionally, I have found it helpful to establish incentives or consequences for motivation, such as rewarding myself with leisure activities or restricting access to certain platforms based on task completion.
2. Time-Blocking
Another strategy I employ is time blocking, which involves allocating specific time slots for different activities. This technique aligns with Parkinson’s Law, which suggests that work expands to fill the time available for its completion.
By using time blocking in conjunction with a 60-60-minute timer, I can optimize my productivity further. For instance, I might dedicate an hour to recording all my video content for the day, ensuring that I prioritize this task and avoid scheduling conflicts.
Time blocking allows me to organize my workload effectively, ensuring essential tasks take precedence over less important ones.
3. Multitasking
Multitasking is another technique I utilize, particularly for routine activities. For example, I often listen to audiobooks or podcasts while engaging in physical exercise like walking or doing squats.
This allows me to combine tasks that require minimal cognitive effort with those that require more mental focus. By pairing these activities, I can make the most of my time and accomplish more in a single session.
4. Say No
Learning to say “no” has been a challenging but crucial skill for me to develop. Instead of overcommitting myself, I have come to recognize the importance of setting boundaries and only taking on tasks that align with my priorities and capacity.
It is essential to understand that saying “yes” to one thing often means saying “no” to something else. Therefore, I recommend embracing the power of saying “no” when necessary.
5. Batching similar task
Batching similar tasks together is a practice I find highly effective. Studies suggest that repeatedly switching between tasks can significantly reduce productivity.
By grouping similar tasks, I can avoid the loss of focus that comes with frequent context switching. For instance, dedicating a block of time to record multiple YouTube videos consecutively allows me to work more efficiently compared to recording them on different days. Batching tasks promotes a flow state, enabling me to complete them at an accelerated pace.
6. Habit to review
To ensure I start each week on the right foot, I make it a habit to review upcoming tasks and appointments on Sunday night or Monday morning. During this review, I assess the relevance and feasibility of each commitment and consider canceling any that may not align with my current priorities or schedule.
7. Talk while you walk
I have found a clever way to incorporate physical activity into my work routine by taking calls while going for walks. This not only allows me to fulfill my exercise goals but also provides a change of scenery and fresh air. Taking calls while walking helps me maximize my productivity and boosts my step count, providing additional health benefits.
8. Intentional Unpluggigng
It is important to establish designated family time and prioritize it over work commitments. By blocking out a few hours every evening and dedicating weekends to family activities, I create space for meaningful interactions and quality time with loved ones. This intentional unplugging allows me to recharge and ultimately enhances my effectiveness when I return to work.
9. Easy Grooming
In the interest of efficiency, I have adopted a practical approach to personal grooming. By using dry shampoo and wearing comfortable clothes, I save valuable time in my daily routine. Dry shampoo helps me refresh my hair quickly without the need for lengthy washing, drying, and styling. Additionally, wearing comfortable clothes underneath my work attire allows for seamless transitions between work and other activities, eliminating the need for multiple outfit changes throughout the day.
10. No Notifications
Finally, turning off notifications has proven to be a game-changer for me. Initially, I had concerns about potentially missing important updates, but I have overcome this fear by implementing dedicated times for checking notifications. By silencing these distractions, I can focus on the task at hand without interruptions, leading to increased productivity and reduced stress.
These strategies have greatly contributed to my productivity and well-being as a single mom. While they have been effective for me, I encourage you to explore and tailor these techniques to suit your own preferences and circumstances.
And this has been a huge time-saving strategy for my entire business because the truth is, the more notifications you get, the more impossible it’s going to be to break the never-ending notification loop now if you want to do something kind of fun or like kind of transform some of your money beliefs and you have like passive products or small Ticket Products set up with stripe or PayPal.
You can leverage Stripe and PayPal notification bonds you can see those coming in on your screen and it can motivate you to create more and market more and share more and give more value.
I hope you have enjoyed these 10 powerful time-saving strategies if you need support with more time management tips as a single mom and some easy self-care tips, overcoming overwhelm, or Affirmation to make you more powerful as a single mom you might just be ready for being thriving and not struggling as a single mom stay tuned for our next article. I’ll catch you guys later. Bye for now.
