How to Be a Cool Stay-and-Work-at-Home Mom - Part 1

I recently hung up my Copywriter's thinking cap after quitting my job at an ad agency, only to wear it again... at home! Here's how I have fun AND maintain my sanity while being a full time mom to our 2-week-old (at time of writing) baby girl and a home-based freelancer!

Let me start by saying that I am not a health freak at all. Knowing that you have to stay healthy is absolutely NOT the same as doing what you can to keep in shape. I'm guilty of procrastinating at times so make sure you don't fall into the same category!

Now that I've quit my job, I no longer venture outdoors as much but that doesn't give me an excuse NOT to exercise. Exercising is so simple to do and yet so difficult to initiate! You first need to realise that you need not participate in strenuous activities just to be fit. If you hate jogging (just like I do!) then by all means avoid it like the plague. ;-) Look for other alternatives instead. I recommend swimming, because as far as I'm concerned, this is one of the best stress-free exercises around! It gets most of our major muscles going on, and swimming also improves posture and flexibility. Best of all, anyone can do it, even when you're pregnant or are suffering from minor back or leg problems.

If you work at home like I do and find it difficult to step out of the house just to visit the public swimming pool, then at least try to make an effort to take regular walks around the block or at the local park. Not only is the fresh air good for you, but you can meet new friends and enjoy quality time spent with your child.

Studies show that keeping pets can significantly enhance your mental and physical health. It has been scientifically proven that those with pets tend to have lower cholesterol levels. Pets can also prove to be great companions, especially for moms with hectic schedules and little time to spare for socialising. Furthermore, mothers can instill good habits in their kids and teach them to be responsible individuals when keeping pets.

It's certainly easy to fall in love with a particularly cuddly puppy or a fluffy kitten that you've spotted at the pet store, but you need to evaluate your environment and select a pet that would most complement your lifestyle. If you find that inconveniences such as animal fur and muddy foot prints are too much to bear, then I would recommend a low-maintenance pet.

Personally I enjoy keeping smaller animals as pets. I don't find it difficult to care for my Winter White hamster, Mongolian gerbil and albino hedgehog. They don't cost much to feed and keeping their enclosures clean isn't too hard either.

When I work, I like to plan and prioritise my tasks for each day. I find that I am most productive at night, but all the same I try to wake up early so that I get a good start ahead with more time in my hands. Experiment and determine if you work best during day or night time. Try to make a list of your chores and allocate time for them so that they do not interfere with your work later on. And when you find yourself inundated with too much housework, it's not wrong to hire a weekly helper to assist with menial chores.

Set work-related objectives and try to stick to them but if you fail to do so, don't berate yourself. Improvise and re-set your goals. Personally, if I find that I cannot deliver a batch of articles in time, I will at least try to draft out their skeletal frames and write down important points before I leave my computer to tend to my baby. Then once I'm back, I can work on the articles again without having my train of thoughts disrupted. Surely, a page full of bullet points is more valuable than an empty Word document. ;-)

Let's face it. If you've got small children in your household, you will know exactly what I mean when I say that sleeping is a luxury. To counter nights filled with broken sleep, I try to take naps and afternoon siestas. Without naps, I'd feel wretched beyond belief and we all know that a cranky mommy is not a productive mommy.

Taking afternoon naps when the sun is at its highest is good for you. Moreover, toddlers tend to sleep during this time, so why not take advantage of this and try to catch 40 winks yourself? You don't need to sleep the whole afternoon away, and a mere 10-minute nap is more than enough to get you by. This has been proven to enhance your mood and alertness while increasing performance right after waking up. Should you feel groggy right after a nap, don't be distressed. This phenomenon is also known as "sleep inertia" and will usually disappear within 5 to 20 minutes. After that, you'll be much more energised than before!

Video games are not just for eleven year olds any more and these days both adults and children alike enjoy playing them. In fact, I enjoy it so much more because video games brought me and hubby together more than a year or so ago. We met while playing Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas on the XBOX 360, and the rest like they say, is history. ;-)

After having our baby and quitting my job to work from home, I see no reason in quitting video games altogether. As a matter of fact, it's one form of entertainment that's both pleasurable and beneficial. Video games help you take your mind off stressful issues and at the same time, it can greatly increase one's alertness and memory as well as mental capacity. I highly recommend mothers who work from home to try and take this up as part of their hobby. If XBOX 360 isn't your thing, perhaps you could try playing games on the Nintendo Wii. This family-oriented gaming platform is an ideal way to bring you and your kids together. Virtually everyone will love playing with the Wii! Otherwise, if you prefer a handheld gaming console for a little private gaming session, you can purchase a Nintendo DS Lite or a Sony PSP.