Helpful Tips for Hard-Working (from Home) Moms

COVID-19 and the resulting lockdown has challenged all of us. The short- and long-term impacts of the pandemic have been especially difficult for working parents. Not only forced into isolation and pivoting to new remote work models, parents working from home took on new roles as teachers, tech support, and activity directors for their children.

Juggling a full-time job and being present as a parent is no easy task. All parents found the past year to be strenuous professionally, mentally, and emotionally. However, studies show working women and mothers have been disproportionately affected with an increase in responsibilities, job loss, and adverse mental health effects.

According to data collected by the U.S. Census, working moms found the impact of the pandemic to be more difficult than working fathers. In fact, 77% of fathers reported that working from home had a positive effect on their work productivity while only 46% of moms responded the same way.

In addition to affecting productivity, mothers were forced to cut the number of hours they could work due to the struggles balancing working and childcare. This has led many women—four times more than men—to downshifting their careers or even leave the workforce.

A key factor in these decisions is job burnout. Even before the pandemic, burnout among working mothers was a significant problem. Not just a catchphrase for being tired of your job, the World Health Organization has qualified burnout as a real syndrome that manifests in a variety of physical and emotional ways, from fatigue and lack of motivation to headaches and chest tightness.

For the Moms

At Vox Mobile we know it has been hard. Many of the employees we support, especially the working moms, have experienced many of the same struggles that mothers all over the country have faced. For Mother’s Day we compiled a few resources for the hard-working mothers who every day make it happen. We appreciate all you do to keep your families safe and businesses around the globe moving, even when at home.

1. What to do when experiencing burnout

Mental health experts say that the best way to avoid or mitigate the effects of burnout are to acknowledge what you’re going through. When everything changed last March, many of us tried to carry on as we always had, to the detriment of ourselves and our families. If you recognize that you’re burnt out, here are four ways you can turn that around.

2. Sanity for working moms

Feeling a little overwhelmed and maybe even a touch of “crazy?” Your mental health matters and the first step to recovering your sanity is to not pass judgment on yourself. It starts with self-care, and if necessary, seeking help from a licensed professional. To get you started, here are 10 self-care tricks to help you find some peace of mind.

3. Time management tips

Developing the skills to get the most out of each hour takes practice. However, even with practice, work-at-home moms struggle with managing their time since there are so many uncertain factors at play in a 24-hour period. To get a better handle on your time, check out these ground rules and tips.

4. Happier working from home

Some moms have found they actually prefer working from home, in their own way. Whether sticking with their company’s remote work plan or leaving their corporate positions to strike out on their own as mompreneurs, working moms are discovering new ways to balance careers with caring for their children. Discover how you can increase productivity while working from home.

For those with younger children or kids who are schooling from home, here are some specific strategies from seasoned work-from-home moms to help you balance work and caregiving.

5. Lean in and connect with your Circle

Founded by Sheryl Sandberg and based on her bestselling book of the same name, Lean In’s mission is to “help women achieve their ambitions and work to create an equal world.” This has been especially true during the pandemic. Lean In Circles provide women with a space to connect with other working women, friends and co-workers to share struggles, get advice and celebrate wins. It’s a boost we all could use.

In Praise of Working Moms

Vox Mobile is proud to lend a helping hand in supporting working moms. We understand all the pain points businesses and end users are facing during this unprecedented time, especially working moms. No matter how great your tech is, if it doesn’t simplify your life, helping you create balance, then it’s of no use. That’s why we’re committed to making sure that technology is not another problem you have to balance.

Moms, you have done an amazing job at one of the most trying times in human history. We thank you for all that you do and look forward to helping you manage your work and personal life more efficiently with mobility you can count on.