Q. As a mother trying to run a home-based business, take care of my children and juggle many responsibilities, what are some ways I can increase my energy levels to get everything done?
A. According to Jill Exler, owner of jexbo.com, a Web site that helps self-published authors sell their books online, here are a few tips to help boost energy levels while multitasking and running a business:
Exercise. For many of you, this is the dreaded “E” word and not at the top of your priority list. But it doesn’t have to be. If you don’t like the thought of going to the gym, find something that you like to do. There are many ways to get in shape such as: dancing, playing tennis, cycling, walking, swimming, taking yoga and more.
Look for creative fitness alternatives. After all, if you find an activity that you enjoy, it will be much easier to fit it into your daily routine. If this doesn’t work, find a workout buddy. Not only can you motivate each other, but you’ll get a much-needed break from family, work and life stressors.
Get enough rest. It can be difficult to get enough sleep when you are worried about your children, business success, bills and other time-consuming activities. But sleep is essential if you want to have enough energy to accomplish all of your tasks and stay healthy. Then, try to go to bed at the same time each night.
If you can get up an hour or two before other members of your family, you’ll be able to get some work done and get a jump on the day’s activities.
Prioritize. Get the tough jobs done first. Focus on your most important tasks and finish them as soon as possible. This may be difficult, but it will allow you to move on to other activities without worrying about upcoming deadlines and unfinished work.
Also, try to get any extra projects done in advance. This will give you extra time for unscheduled activities and keep you ahead of schedule.
Get organized. With a busy schedule, it can be easy for things to get out of control. If you are organized, you’ll have less stress. For example, if you need something but know you’ll have to look through piles of things to get to it, you can feel run down just thinking about it.
But if things are where they should be, you can sit down and get your tasks done.
