Switching Between Mom & Work Mode
Some working moms find it hard to switch between work and mom mode. After coming from work, many will struggle to easily change and turn off work mode and get into home mode. Equally, it becomes hard to switch fully from mom mode to work mode when you report to work.
As a result, you may struggle to focus and be productive at work because your mind is still at home with your kids. You keep thinking about your children, home, and chores while in the office because you have not successfully transitioned into work mode.
Equally, you may struggle to be present at home with your family after getting off work. You keep thinking about the amount of work you have to do, the deadline, and other work-related issues. It ends up diluting the quality of time that you have with your partner or babies.
Getting into work mode /gear when you are at work is possible and can be easily achieved. You need to set firm work boundaries, learn effective time management, and self care as routine habits and strategies.
How to Effectively Switch between Mom & Work Modes
1. Set Firm Work Boundaries
For you to successfully and easily change from work mode to home mode, you need firm boundaries. You need to block all kinds of communications from your office once you get home.
Do not bring work home. If you have an office phone, leave it at the office. Do not check your work email when you are at home. It will help you stop thinking about work yet you are at home.
These rules and boundaries will help you focus on home and not work when you get back home. Do not allow yourself to be interrupted by work as it will interfere your moods and dilute the quality of the time you are enjoying with your family.
Read: How to Create and Enforce Work Boundaries
2. Learn Effective Time Management
One of the reasons your mind keeps wandering between work and home is that you have pending tasks that you are yet to do. If you have not completed your work for the day it will be hard for you to easily change to the mom-and-play mode when you get home.
Equally, when you have pending home-related chores, it will be hard to completely turn off being a mom and change and focus to work mode. You will not focus or be productive in your work like this.
Some of the things you can do to effectively manage time include;
- Creating a to-do list of everything you intend to do both at work and at home. it will help you focus on work and not home.
- Allocate more convenient time for unplanned tasks. unplanned tasks will consume your time and make you run late on your schedule.
- Checkoff tasks from the checklist and make sure that you have finished all
- Eliminate time wasters i,e phone, social media. The more time you have, the higher chances of completing all work items on your list so that you can focus on your kids and partner when you get home.
Read: Time Management Tips for Full Time Working Moms
3. Use Commute Time to Decompress and Switch
Working from an office gives you some time to commute. You can then use the commute time to decompress and switch between the modes.
While heading to work in the morning, use the few minutes to decompress from home and prep your mind for work. Go through the to-do list in your mind and by the time you get to the office, you will have successfully switched to work mode.
Likewise use the commute time from the office to home to change to mom/play gear. You can play music on your phone or read a book. Doing so will push the work from your mind. By the time you get home, you will be ready to be a mom.
4. Practice Self-care
You need to take proper care of yourself. Self-care nourishes your mind and body to enable them to accommodate the changes between being a mom and an employee. Some of the practices you can adopt include;
- Always eating adequate healthy meals
- Sleeping adequately for at least 8 hours
- Creating an exercise routine
- Hobbies such as art, knitting, gardening, etc.
- Healthy social life and relationship with friends, partners, family, etc.
All these are very helpful tips on how you can enable your mind to welcome and easily process the change between mom and work modes whenever you need to. They will also improve your focus on your tasks.
Read: Creating an Exercise Routine when Working Full Time
How to Switch between Mom & Work Modes if Working from Home
1. Change between Home and Work
Working from home can make it hard for you to switch between work and home. However, you can set up a number of change systems that will help you achieve this. Some of the things you can do include change from home clothes to work clothes and vice versa.
In the morning before starting work, change from home clothes to work modes. Go through the entire routine of getting ready as it will help communicate to your mind that you are now changing from home to work mode. Doing this will help you easily switch to work mode and focus on work.
Equally, get out of work clothes in the evening and get into comfortable home clothes. The process of changing clothes is communicating to your mind a change that needs to be processed. It will shut down on work and welcome mom-and-play mode.
2. Select Different Lights For Work and Home Mode
Changing lights is also very helpful. You can use smart bulbs/plugs which easily change their colors and themes to match home or work mode. Perhaps the white lights can be used for work and a more orange light during other times.
When you change between these lights, it communicates to your brain what to focus on at the moment. For instance after finishing work, change to orange lights and allow your mind to distress and get into home mode.
3. Change your Desktop Wallpapers
Have specific wallpapers for whenever you are through with work. It helps you not to think of work when you should be in mom mode. You can also change your browser profiles and themes.
Have as many changes as possible that make sense to you and help you switch from one mode to the other when working from home.
4. Create a Switch Routine between Work & Home Modes
Create a certain routine for whenever you are changing between work and home modes. These habits will help train your mind that you are leaving a certain mode and welcoming the other. Some of the things you can for changing gears when working from home include;
- Do a normal getting-ready routine in the morning. Having a shower, dressing up, doing make-up, getting a cup of coffee, etc.
- In the evening when you are done with work switch off the computer, take a walk, put on some music, get a shower, change into new home clothes, etc.
5. Pick a Turn off Trigger
Many people respond well to certain triggers. You can create or identify a trigger that easily and automatically tells your mind to switch from one mode to the other when you are working from home.
Some triggers to includes;
- Sounds. Different sounds speak and mean different things to different people. If some specific music helps you relax from work and get you to home mode, then play them. Music is specifically very helpful in relaxation and focus on different task. If a certain sound such as an alarm makes you turn off or change from home to work mode, then set an alarm sound for when you need to work at home. You can even have an end-of-work playlist that will make the transition easier. All these are very effective especially when working from home.
- Smells. You need to create a “trigger” that activates a cause and effect. Smells can also help you navigate and change between work and mom mode. Pick a specific scent that makes you feel a type of way and use it to change between work and mom modes. Some moms use scents from perfumes, flowers, food, the outside, etc. Make it a habit to use a specific scent before doing something fun, then, when you are switching from work to play you can use that scent to activate fun mode!
6. Leave/Change Rooms to Switch Modes
Depending on the room you are working in while at home you will need to leave or change the room. If you have a room that is a dedicated office from where you work, you need to move from that room and go into another room. You can go outside or the kitchen or living area etc. to change the environment.
If you are working in a common room such as the living area, you will need to leave the room for a few minutes. Get up and get some air outside and the comeback. It will help you to slowly get down to home mode.
