Time Management 101: Working From Home with a Newborn

Working from home became more of a common practice among companies largely due to the pandemic. Ladders, a job hunting site, predicts that by the end of 2022, a quarter of white collar jobs will be remote. Sought-out industries are finding ways to make remote work a fit at their companies.

According to Pew Research, adding to this increase is the fact that employment levels for women are back to their pre-pandemic numbers — especially for jobs that can be performed remotely, such as in tech.

While women are back at work, and the “she-cession” — a term coined by Institute for Women's Policy Research president C. Nicole Mason — is receding, there will be women who will be given a choice to work from home with their newborns. In order for women to better prepare for the challenges associated with that, here are a few suggestions on what can be done to create a more sustainable work-life balance.

Just as structured time creates efficiency when working in a traditional setting, it's gold when working from home.

Do not sleep when the baby sleeps
Before you had the baby, you probably heard one piece of advice over and over again: Sleep when the baby sleeps. It's a nice theory, but it should go out the window when working from home. "When they're sleeping, hit your work hard," freelance writer and mom Marisa Iallornado wrote for Good Housekeeping. Treat your working hours as such, and focus solely on that to-do list.

Make your baby’s down time your work time
At the beginning of your day, write down a number of tasks that you can complete quickly, whether it's responding to an email or digitally filing some documents. In those magical moments that your baby is occupied while on a swing or bouncer, knock one of those tasks off your list.

Be flexible with your hours
A perk of working from home, in most cases, is not being restrained to traditional nine-to-five hours — unless that's what your boss expects from you. While making sure that you are keeping your employer's expectations, stay flexible with work hours. “My favorite time to write is early in the morning, so I’d often wake up at 5 a.m. to get in a couple of hours before the baby woke up,” Marisa shared.

Make technology work for you
Our phones are a practical way of getting things done. When your little one is on your lap, be sure that apps such as Google Docs or Google Sheets are downloaded so that you do not need to take unnecessary breaks.

Aside from managing your time, your overall well-being is most important while caring for your baby and handling your job. Try out these tips to help you feel successful at the end of the day:

• Create breaks within the day. Find moments where you can rest and reset.
• Create an "already done" list. Focus on the things you have achieved that day while parenting and working. "Write down your completed to-dos, all of your projects — large and small," advised Daisy Dowling, CEO and founder of coaching and consultanting firm Workparent, on her blog.
• Enlist your partner's — or friend's or family's — help. Allow them to take over kid duty while you put in some solid time "at the office."
• Hire outside help. Seek out a high school student, who might cost less than a college student or an adult.
• Sneak in a quick workout session. Put on a 10-minute yoga video or place your baby in a carrier and take a brisk walk outside. A few minutes of getting your blood pumping might be the relief you need.
• Avoid feeling guilty. Let go of the feeling that you aren't doing enough, and celebrate what you are accomplishing.