When I started my journey as a stay at home mum, one of the things I found out that was very challenging for me was the fact that I found it very hard to stay productive in the midst of changing diapers, a fussy baby and trying to entertain a baby. There was little or no chance to be productive and at night when you feel that you could be productive, you had to sleep.

I went round the circle for a couple of months and I found out that I hardly and rarely got anything done and when I did, it was with a struggle.

Here are my tips to help you be productive;

Put in the work:  I know that you are extremely tired and exhausted from all things that you do during the day but you need to know somewhere at the back of your mind that you need to put in the work. If we keep hiding behind tiredness and exhaustion (Which is legit) we wont do anything else aside taking care of our children and the home but we also want to be productive and do things that will develop us as women and not be on the same level during our stay at home periods.


Set time aside: Set a block of time designated as your “working hours” this time is dedicated to doing uninterrupted work to make progress. No multitasking, pick one thing and finish then move to the next. I set my block of time after my child has slept and I dedicate those times to do the work I need to do and move on.

Get armed with the right tools: Now that you have adjusted your mind to know that you need to work hard, it's time for the right tools. Let’s start with your environment. Ask yourself, what is making me unproductive. Clutter? No designated space? Noise? Deal with that. When you have a decluttered designated working Space, you will become more productive. What gets you in the right frame of mind? I listen to music (I have a playlist) and I get in the mood to do some work because I get so pumped. So, what gets you in the right frame of mind? Music? Affirmations? What other tools help? A journal to document what you want to achieve for the day, to-do lists and follow through.

Get rid of the distractions: This days one of our biggest distractions  is our phones. I put my phone in another room when I need to work. I know some of us need our phones to work, you can block off notifications, put it on airplane mode, turn it upside down. Whatever, is distracting you should be done away with for the block of time.
Reward yourself when you achieve your goals (no matter how small) You want to create a system where you are expecting your reward for smashing your goal for the week. I kick back and catch up on my shows when I do achieve my goals.

Review at the end of the week or the beginning of the next week;  You are reviewing your productivity level and your work system. What were you able to achieve in the week? Why was I able to achieve it? What was I not able to achieve? Why wasn't I able to achieve it?? Which work system is working? Which isn't? What fuels my productivity? What doesn't? Am I making progress towards my overall goal? These are questions you want to answer weekly.

Rest! Take a day off! Just rest because body no be firewood.

It is only with discipline that all of this is achievable. Stay disciplined and be productive! In my next post, I will share my practical list of what keeps me productive.

So, tell me in the comment section, how do you stay productive today?  What are your biggest challenges with productivity? let me know.