20 Life Hacks Every Working Mother Should Know

28/01/2015
The transition from motherhood back to workforce need not be fraught with perils or trepidation. Working mothers are succeeding in all walks of life and in traditionally male-dominated industries at all levels of the career spectrum, including in the senior most echelons of the corporate ladder.

In fact, ‘The Bayt.com Status of Working Women in the Middle East’ survey, December 2014, reveals that 51% of women working in mixed gender environments believe that men and women are treated equally in their workplace; another 51% consider job offers to be made regardless of gender.
Below are some life hacks that make it all the easier if you are a working woman in the Middle East:
1. Prepare your work clothes the night before
Appearance really does matter in the workplace, and just because you have a demanding brood at home does not automatically qualify you to look a frenzied mess during board or client meetings if you want to be taken seriously and be seen to be capable and in control. According to the Bayt.com ‘Influence of Personal Appearance on Hiring Decisions’ poll, March 2013, 83.4% of professionals in the Middle East region claim there is a link between appearance and success, while 63.5% are affirmative that they feel judged on the basis of their clothes and how they look. Take a few minutes at night to put aside the next day’s outfit so you can visualize in an unhurried fashion the exact look you need to project for the day’s activities and totally perfect it. That way you can also spend those extra few precious minutes you save in the morning with the family and remove the urgency factor from the getting ready routine.
2. Get the grooming down to an art
Again, it’s crucial you don’t appear to be unkempt, unhygienic, incapable or careless if you want to assume added responsibilities in the office or even keep your own. Whatever look you aspire to, make sure it is super professional, clean and well maintained. You will inspire more ease and trust with clients and peers if you appear more relaxed, pleasant and in control. In the Middle East, 78.6% of respondents believe that well-groomed professionals enjoy better career growth opportunities, as per the Bayt.com ‘Influence of Personal Appearance on Hiring Decisions’ poll.
3. Plan family menus a week at a time
A hurried lifestyle shouldn’t get in the way of your family’s health and nutrition. Planning meals ahead enables you to ensure a balanced diet for all and also to shop well ahead and in bulk so you save time and money. It also takes the stress out of the daily worry about what to feed the family and when to find time to do the shopping. Best of all, it allows you to research recipes for exciting new items that will add fun and flavor to family mealtimes.
4. Fill the freezer
Plan for a rainy day! Some days you won’t have time to cook and some days you won’t have the energy or desire. Also, husbands and kids occasionally bring home friends and your own friends may choose to pop in for good company and a bite. Aim to have at least a few pre-cooked meals in there that you can defrost in a jiffy and don’t shy away from stocking that freezer with all sorts of preserves and summer goodies to tide you through a rainy day. One popular trick is to regularly cook favorite meals in large quantities so you can freeze remainders for some time in the future rather than serve the next day.
5. Plan the family’s activities a week at a time
Fridge magnets are a working mother’s best friend. Keep a calendar on the fridge (or on your favorite bulletin board) that can be seen by all the family where you colorfully and clearly list all social activities as well as doctor visits, school requirements, tutoring visits, reading assignments, and all other family weekly agenda items.
6. Make mealtimes a group activity
Yes, in most households everyone comes home at a different time but there is a lot of benefit in having one meal a day at least as a group bonding activity where you can share the day’s stories, plans, troubles, and dreams. This may be the only time of the day when you all sit together in a room and catch up on each other’s lives as a family unit. In the MENA region, 84.6% of respondents in the Bayt.com ‘Professionals’ Health and Eating Habits’ poll, April 2012, said that mealtime is a family affair in their home.
7. Always pack a healthy snack
As a mother you are bolstering the family unit and a lot depends on you so your own good health is paramount. As you are probably always on the go, try to keep a bag of your favorite healthiest snack in your purse at all times as a special treat and to keep that energy level high and prevent you from reaching for less optimal alternatives in a moment of hunger. Here’s a list of 10 healthy snacks to keep at work, by nutritionist Bana Salameh.
8. Befriend a neighbor
You never know when your kids will come home from school unexpectedly early or when you will need a carpool or emergency babysitter for them or a friendly eye to watch your front door while you are gone or let the plumbers or gardeners or deliveries in. You may be fortunate to live in a building or on a street where everyone is super friendly and there is a real community vibe, but if you don’t, try to make the extra effort to be cordial, if not close, to at least one of your neighbors.
9. Keep spares
Whatever it is you find you can never locate enough of in time, try to plan well ahead and buy spares. Children’ socks, soaps, hair-bands and band-aids, milk, cookies, pantry commodities and light bulbs; whatever it is you find yourself scrambling for constantly, make a conscious decision to always keep duplicates.
10. Meet with your manager regularly
You need to make it clear to your management that you may be on the mommy track but your are still every bit as committed and capable and ambitious in the workplace too, maybe even more so now, as new priorities very often come with a pronounced improvement in a mother’s work ethic and productivity levels as she optimizes her activities to come to terms with a new work-life balance. ‘The Bayt.com Status of Working Women in the Middle East’ survey reveals that the top three reasons for women wanting to change jobs are a better salary (70%), better benefits (29%) and more opportunities for career advancement. It’s essential to meet regularly with your managers and keep them abreast of all your achievements, tasks and progress formally and informally so your dedication and professionalism are never questioned or overlooked.
11. Use downtime in the office to read
Often the first thing to be dropped from a busy mother’s schedule is reading time. Unless you want your skills to date and market edge to be eroded, keep a book at hand at every point in time and ensure you are always up to speed with the latest trends, tools and techniques in your industry. Almost 80% of professionals in the Middle East say they read their industry-related literature on a regular basis, as per the Bayt.com ‘Career Advancement in the Middle East’ poll. So aim to set aside at least an hour a week to reading. A great time to catch up on your online reading at least is during downtime or lunchtime in the office, and during moments that would otherwise have been wasted frivolously gossiping with colleagues or surfing irrelevant sites for distraction.
12. Allocate an hour a week for organization
Most working mothers find themselves often torn in a million different directions what with ample school and work deadlines, conflicting responsibilities and competing priorities. It is essential to stay organized and in control and on top of it all so you can give each area of your life justice and really succeed on all fronts. Set aside an hour a week to plan ahead, make lists and notes and really envision what your week will look like and what time parameters, resource allocations and delegation activities will empower you to succeed. Having a to-do list is a great way to check off completed tasks during the day. 94% of professionals use a to-do list to organize their day, as revealed in the Bayt.com ‘Distractions at Work in the MENA’ poll, December 2013.
13. Have a vision board
It’s easy to lose sight of yourself and your true passions when you are caught up in the daily grind and there may often be no time to spare for self-reflection or even self-motivation, let alone hobbies and activities that make you grow, experiment, learn, and explore. One way to stay grounded and focused on your true values, goals and dreams, and to evolve them, is to have a mood or vision board placed in a special corner of your home and regularly clip on photos, words, articles and items that remind you of your real objectives and inspirations in life, and help you to be a happier, better and more focused you.
14. Make your childcare feel like family
Whether it’s a nanny that looks after your family or a friend or relative or neighborhood crèche or nursery or babysitter or school, they are being entrusted with the most essential being in your life and it’s crucial you treat them to the warmth, respect, professionalism, admiration, and generosity they deserve. As a working mom, this is one of the most essential relationships in your life and one you need to nurture at all times.
15. Have a celebration day
You may not have large quantities of time to spend with family as a working mom but why not make the precious time you do have all quality time and packed with memorable moments? Think of what simple activity makes everyone really happy and make it a regular fixture in the family’s calendar, whether it’s a Pizza Wednesday or Beach Friday or Movies Thursday or Barbecue Sunday, or any other pastime that combines you all, adds spice to your week, causes warm anticipation, and lifts all your spirits.
16. Be generous with your friends
You may not have the time to see your friends as often as you would like but that doesn’t mean you can’t keep the spark alive by remembering birthdays, anniversaries and random milestones with special little gifts, and calling them as often as you can just to say hello and make them know how special they are. Have a florist or chocolatier or favorite gift site at hand you can always turn to for deliveries during these moments when you would love to be somewhere with someone but simply realistically cannot.
17. Be yourself
You do not have to act or sound or dress like a man to succeed in the workplace; you simply need to be the best and most professional and learned and productive version of yourself possible. Today, the female workforce has expanded with exponential strength, and thus has its dire importance in the professional world. Indeed, more and more workplaces are appreciating the tremendous value women bring to the workplace simply by being their nurturing, caring, emotionally intelligent, peaceful selves. Whatever your true instincts and character traits and values, you need to be true to them and seek to excel by achieving ambitious targets you set for yourself – not by trying to be someone else altogether. Trying to be one persona in the workplace and a complete different one at home will cause you undue stress and is unsustainable in the long run.
18. Don’t sweat the small stuff
Kid’s socks mismatched this morning? It’s ok. Husband’s work shirts still un-ironed after last nights wash? It’s ok. You handed your boss a miniature toy train instead of the pen he asked for this morning when you reached into your burgeoning purse? It’s ok. The house is a mess and you will have leftovers tonight for the third night in a row? It’s ok. Instead of panicking and drowning in a vortex of self-hate, try to see your life as a daily invitation to formulate and execute little solutions and enjoy the satisfaction that comes with overcoming life’s little challenges.
19. Keep the magic alive
According to ‘The Bayt.com Status of Working Women in the Middle East’ survey, 55% of working women in the Middle East consider a successful career their main source of happiness. In fact, many professional women spend their days doing their best to add unique cutting-edge value at work and forget to do the same at home. Cherish children’s story times, try to sing and dance and play sports together, make your meals memorable even if they’re fast, light some candles, spray some delicious home scents, make time for picnics and arts and crafts and family visits, smile and spread good vibes. Don’t let work take all the best of you, extend that finesse and creativity and problem-solving ability and organizational skillset and talent to the home front too.
20. Have some ‘me’ time
Whatever it is that keeps you sane and healthy and happy make some time for it in your routine and don’t feel guilty about investing in your own satisfaction and fulfillment. Whether it’s a long soak in a tub with Dead Sea salts or a tennis match with friends or a hiking or camping or reading or swimming break from your routine, try to pencil in regular as well as special breaks from the daily grind that cause you to be a better you. Perhaps all you have time for some weeks is a smile in the mirror and a personal reaffirmation to the image that smiles back of your tremendous self-worth, and inner and outer beauty . . . Do it!

Fonte:http://blog.bayt.com/2015/01/20-life-hacks-every-working-mother-should-know/?utm_medium=email&utm_source=subscription&utm_campaign=jobseeker_digest_en

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