How to Have a Stress-Free Summer Working from Home

In today’s post discover how to have a stress-free summer working from home. You’ll learn tips on how to create and maintain a schedule, strategies for working efficiently, and snag free printables perfect for the mom working from home during summer break!

How to Have a Stress-Free Summer Working from Home

Summer break is right around the corner. If you work at home that can mean panic mode is setting in!

How will you get work tasks done this summer?

Will you be able to balance work and family fun?

And how to keep the kids from driving you nuts and/or running through the house like wild things?

Today I’m sharing ideas for how to work from home during the summer, tips on how to create and maintain a schedule, and free printables perfect for the mom working from home during summer break.

Let’s jump in!

Organize Your Office

Organizing your office will make you more efficient and keep wasted time to a minimum. You’ll be able to find what you need when you need it, clean up after yourself quickly, and get right back to work at the start of a new day.

If the thought of organizing your entire office is too overwhelming, consider clearing your desk top. You’ll be amazed at what a difference this simple step makes. And you’ll be so much more ready to work when you sit down at a clear, decluttered desk!

Need some help organizing your office? Join my office organization challenge. Each day for 7 days, we’ll tackle one office trouble spot, get it decluttered and organized, and create habits and routines to KEEP it that way!

Establish a Calendar Routine

Having a calendar is crucial, especially when you work from home!

Start using a calendar and create a calendar checking routine (the most important piece), and you’ll never forget important events and appointments again. You’ll stop feeling rushed and disorganized, and with a glance you’ll know what to expect from the day or the week.

Bonus points if you track your family’s information, too, because you’ll know exactly where they are and what they have going on with just a look at your calendar.

Learn how to start using a calendar and create a calendar checking routine in this post: Add Hours to Your Day with One Simple Tool!

Create Routines

Routines are vital for working effectively!

Here are 3 BIG things you gain by establishing routines:

• More time – routines help you to be more efficient which equals more time for other things like summer family fun.
• Less internal resistance – routines help you do what must be done without the internal fighting that creates so much stress, frustration, and wasted energy.
• Decreased decision fatigue – having established routines cuts out a large portion of your daily decision making and automates a set of activities; that means you suffer from less decision fatigue and make better choices!

By creating routines for your work time and your household tasks, you’ll get your work done more quickly and efficiently!

For tips on creating and sticking to routines, check out this post: How to Build Strong and Lasting Business Routines. Psst, this post isn’t just about business routines!

Establish Work Hours

Establish summer work hours and post them for everyone to see!

By setting office hours and making them known to your family, you give your kids (and your spouse…honey, are you reading this?) an end to the madness. They know when you’ll be available to attend to their burning questions, pressing concerns, and summer requests!

BTW, this strategy works well during the school year, too. 🙂

This printable might be helpful when establishing and posting your work hours!

Snag your office hours printable here!

Utilize Even More Printables

These printables are the two most sanity-saving tools in my summer survival kit! Say that three times fast. 😉

A not-so-gentle reminder that I’m not to be disturbed when working (unless blood or fire are involved):

Grab your copy: Do Not Disturb Printable.

The Do Not Disturb printable is great, but impulse control isn’t always my kids’ strong suit.

This printable is the magic ingredient in keeping my work time interruption free, during summer break and beyond:

Grab your copy: I’ll Be Done Working At Printable.

Put these printables to work for you, for your sanity and that of your kids!

*Want even more FREE printables that will help you organize your business? Get them here!*

Create Strategies to Help Your Kids Beat Boredom

Keep handy a list of activities that fully engage your children.

Whether that’s making a mess with paints, watching a new movie, playing with a new or forgotten toy, or playing office. Then reserve those activities for use during your work time.

I’m not above bribery, especially during the summer.

Schedule Time to Work Away from Home

Last year, on the THIRD day of summer break, we experienced what is now called “The Great Mom Breakdown of 2018.”

As the name suggests, it wasn’t pretty.

Let’s just say that after a day rife with interruptions, chaos, and NO completed work tasks, I threw a fit, packed my computer bag, and bailed for the nearest library quiet room.

That evening I spent four glorious hours at the library and completed more in that one night than I had ALL week.

Sometimes the best option is to check out of the loony bin for a few hours of quiet, uninterrupted work time. Recruit your spouse, an older child, family member, or friend to take the evening shift at home and get your productivity boogie on (yes, that’s real thing)! 😉

Lighten or Shift Your Work Load

Unless you have specific hours to meet or other requirements built into your job responsibilities, there’s nothing that says you have to maintain the same schedule during the summer as you do during the school year.

Lighten your load by taking on less work.

• Don’t accept new clients or projects (but let interested parties know you’ll have openings in the fall).
• Try to wrap up lingering projects before school gets out.
• Ease up on your internal deadlines during the summer.
• And say “no” more often.

The work will be there when you’re ready to get back to serious business in the fall. And if it isn’t? You probably didn’t want it anyway!

Put a Kids’ Desk in Your Office

For younger kids (and sometimes even older ones), a chance to work alongside you in your office at their own desk is a way to create extra work time.

I’ve stocked my kids’ desk with art supplies, books, and even simple work tasks (like filing or sorting). They love working beside me, and I get a little extra office time!

One caveat: this often becomes a chatting time for my kids and me (not that I’m complaining). But, it’s best to reserve this time for mundane tasks that don’t require a lot of your concentration.

How to Have a Stress-Free Summer Working from Home

You don’t have to put your business on the back burner or sacrifice time with your family during summer break. The tips in today’s post can help you have a (mostly) stress-free summer working from home.

By creating and establishing schedules and routines, using a few well-placed printables, and creating novel experiences for your kids, you can continue to grow your business and enjoy family fun this summer!

Related Posts

If you enjoyed today’s post, you might find these related posts helpful:

• How to Survive Summer Break When You Work from Home
• How to Get Your Kids Involved in Your Business
• 8 Tips for Staying Sane When Working at Home

What are your favorite strategies for stress-free, work from home summers?

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Here’s to fun, stress-free summer breaks!