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Boss Moms Figuring It Out As They Go: You Are All Of Us

Motherhood looks even more different than many of us expected as we run homes, businesses, and classrooms.


Motherhood is a constant hustle. Managing home and work duties while raising kids has never been easy. Yet, moms continue to somehow manifest extra hours in the day and make it all work. Now a global health emergency has taken the already exhausted, overworked mom and added virtual learning to an overflowing plate. Sure, why not? Moms can handle that too, right? Not so fast!

Sixty-six percent (66%) of moms say they are worried about their mental well-being, according to a BCG study examining the COVID-19 burden on working parents.

“66% of moms say they are worried about their mental well-being.”BCG Study

Motherhood looks even more different than many of us expected as we run homes, businesses, and classrooms. We can barely wrap our heads around the circumstances, let alone be productive and thriving 100 percent of the time. Working moms have a monumental task ahead. Yet, we refuse to believe that unprecedented times usher in hopes deferred and sanity denied.

Now more than ever, moms need practical solutions. So, we’ve partnered with Excelerate America and Dell Technologies to share an inside look at six boss mom tips for home, work, and school ­­–– for women who do it all. Let’s figure it out –– together.

 

Home

“Home, sweet home” isn’t always a stress-free zone. Our to-do lists remain buried beneath the blurred lines of work-life balance. Laundry piles up, meals are missed, and groceries perform a regular disappearing act. We are tethered to phones to ensure emails aren’t overlooked, deadlines approach, and the thought of taking an hour out of the day to clean produces anxiety.

 

1. Rework your schedule and delegate

If any of this sounds familiar, a rework or slimdown of your schedule is non-negotiable. Delegation within the home is crucial. Don’t take on too many projects or commitments at once. Learn to prioritize and say “no.” Lean into technology. Keep a Dell Latitude series laptop nearby to manage flexible scheduling task apps like TaskRabbit (errands), Instacart (grocery delivery), Care.com (childcare, housekeeping, and pet care). The idea is to find people who can do tasks just as well as you, communicate your standards, and delegate suitable tasks.

Photo: © Ilona, YFS Magazine, Adobe Stock
Photo: © Ilona, YFS Magazine

Every mom can benefit from delegating tasks at home. It’s a real boss move. It will also become a vital part of your sanity, both professionally and personally.

 

2. Create tiny changes that lead to remarkable results

Atomic Habits author James Clear hit the nail on the head when he wrote, “You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems.” Systems reduce decision fatigue and equip you with the power of habit. They are a series of steps designed to help your life run efficiently and effectively. They help us make progress and make our goals real. Every home needs systems.

Create systems for stress-management (yoga, anyone?), managing home expenses, food preparation (batch cooking), cleaning (delegate it), remote learning, mental health goals, and more.

“You don’t have to be the victim of your environment. You can also be the architect of it.”  James Clear, Atomic Habits

Photo: © zzzdim, YFS Magazine, Adobe Stock
Photo: © zzzdim, YFS Magazine

Grab your Dell Latitude series laptop, open your favorite to-do app, and list each goal with a corresponding system. Perhaps, your mental health has taken a colossal hit. A simplistic system could include a morning jog, 10 minutes with your preferred mediation app, and an upgraded cup of joe (thanks to a new drip coffee machine). That’s it! Three simple yet powerful steps to put you in a better state of mind each morning. Remember: Systems are about tiny changes that lead to remarkable results. What system can you start this week?

 

Work

If your work performance has dropped significantly due to increased family and home responsibilities, you’re not alone –– especially if you’re a mompreneur or WAHM with young children.

 

3. Work when you are most productive

Ditch the mom guilt attached to irregular office hours, a sharp decline in focus, and impending deadlines that desperately need an “Oh, Sh*t!” buffer (a cushion for the things that will fall through the cracks). Flexible work is the new normal. Studies affirm that 67% of small businesses offer some form of flexible work arrangements. While “78% of employees said flexible work arrangements made them more productive.” A PwC survey about future workforce trends found that 63% of respondents believe the old-school eight-hour workday may soon become obsolete.

Photo: Adobe Stock, YFS Magazine, © Marina Andrejchenko
Photo: © Marina Andrejchenko, YFS Magazine

Backed by copious studies, the science is clear: Work when you are most productive, during peak productivity times. As a result, you’ll produce quality work in less time by focusing on key outcomes rather than hours clocked. Do you work better in mornings, afternoons, or are you a complete night owl? Encourage the adoption of flexible work hours, compressed workweeks, and remote work equipped with a Dell Latitude series laptop on-the-go. Supporting working parents is fundamental to employee engagement and satisfaction –– and peace of mind.

 

4. Focus, with the help of technology

Why is it so hard to concentrate? If you’ve been searching for tips on “how to get your brain to focus,” “how to focus better,” or “how to increase focus,” you’re not alone. Pandemic brain fog is real. Research has found that acute stress impairs working memory and reduces a person’s ability to pay attention. Working moms know this reality all too well. Reclaim your focus with thoughtfully designed apps.

Download your favorite focus app to your smartphone, Dell Latitude series laptop, or tablet.

 

School

“Signed the kids up for distance learning. Spiraling into depression. It’s too much to balance with working full-time!” Queue a hurricane of emails, confusing schedules, and tantrums. Sound familiar? Virtual learning was designed to continue children’s studies, but it’s taking a toll on parents’ schedules.

With schools continuing to decide how the upcoming school year will look — be it all in person, a hybrid approach, or all virtual learning — working moms have yet another puzzle piece to put into place. Seventy-two percent (72%) of moms are worried about their children’s education, according to a BCG study. Women are twice as likely as men to be primarily responsible for homeschooling their children.

 

5. Upgrade to Dell Latitude series laptops and tablets for remote learning

Moms are homeschooling and creating virtual classrooms from scratch. Dependable tech at home can alleviate a little stress. Laptops and tablets help you get your work done while the kids complete their schoolwork.

It’s essential to invest in a portable device with dependable battery life and enough processing power to handle live streams. With Dell Latitude series laptops, kids can log in to online classes, take notes, view video chats, and participate in interactive learning modules without skipping a beat. Psst! Right now, we can connect you to extra savings during Dell’s Labor Day Sale. Click here to learn more.

 

6. Incorporate plenty of recess breaks

All of the pandemic schooling tips in the world can’t make up for inadequate recess. Kids need movement, and recess is a form of learning. “Research has shown time and again that children need opportunities to move in class. Memory and movement are linked, and the body is a tool of learning, not a roadblock to or a detour away from it.” Schools that “integrate more movement and free play, such as short 15-minute recess periods throughout the day, have seen gains in student attention span and instructional time.”

Photo: © Jacob Lund, YFS Magazine, Adobe Stock
Photo: © Jacob Lund, YFS Magazine

You can obtain the same results at home. If recess outdoors isn’t an option or possible due to the weather, utilize free yoga (Cosmic Kids Yoga for 10- to 15-minute videos just for kids) and dance videos on YouTube, exercise bands, a hula hoop, etc. Need more recess ideas for kids, ages 5 to 12? Checkout the indoor-recess channel GoNoodle, for fun and engaging videos that get kids up and moving.

 

Women who do it all are superheroes

Working moms are getting the short end of the stick when it comes to this pandemic. Women who do it all are pulling triple duty as a mom, business professional, and homeschool teacher. No matter what their situation is, it’s less than ideal.

The saying “the struggle is real” has never felt as real as it does now. They are trailblazers in these strange and unprecedented times, and we must never let the world forget it. Boss moms are superheroes, and they deserve to hear it.

Pro Tip: Excelerate America has opened up their Dell program to empower women like you to get more done. Visit bossdellmoms.com to access the savings or call 1-800-757-8442 to chat with a Small Business Advisor and tell them you know Excelerate America.

 

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