There’s something funny about us creative work-from-homers (seems like there should be a better way to say that 🤷🏼‍♀️) and housework. It seems like either you can’t stand it and you sort of get by with piles of dishes and undies on the floor or you spend your precious work hours doing all the housework you put off over the weekend.

Welp, neither of those camps are great ones to be in, huh?

I would say at different times I have fallen into both of those categories.

Wanna know a secret?

I’m not a naturally disciplined person. At all.

There. I said it. 😅

When I share that with people, I’m usually met with a fair amount of disbelief and it kind of cracks me up because I see the weekend bag still on the floor behind my bedroom door, not yet unpacked cause I’m still a work in progress too.

But, because I’m not naturally disciplined, I have had to learn to be really intentional with my time. My idea-ridden brain has a hard time focusing on anything for a longer period of time, so I’m often prone to switching through 15 browser tabs and forgetting why I unlocked my phone by the time I get to the home screen.

Yep. This happens all the time. It’s ridiculous. 🤦🏼‍♀️

So, because I’ll bet you’re a little something like me, I’m sharing my 5 favorite tips for keeping house and balancing work + personal time. 😀

1. Go to Work

I’ve often had this bad habit of wanting to get housework or personal tasks done during my work time because I know think it will make me feel better and more accomplished. BUT – when I do that, I’m wasting my precious, valuable best brain hours for menial tasks that I can do over my lunch hour or after work. Set office hours and stick to them. Remember, if you worked anywhere else, this would be a big no-no! Working only during your work hours also means you don’t bring your work “home” with you, which the hubs and kids will thank you for! Check

*If you work best in a tidy environment (which you likely do), make sure you wake up early enough to get your space set before it’s time to work orrrrr just do it the night before.

Pro Tip: Make the most of your work time with these 9 productivity hacks!

2. Give Everything a Home

I’ve found it to be so helpful to have a place for everything. Give everything a “home.” Even if it’s a junk drawer, know where every single thing you own belongs. This takes a little bit of effort up front, but once you give everything a home, keeping a tidy house gets much easier and more efficient.

3. Master the 10-Minute Tidy

Mark and I have found one of the best ways to keep our house and our brains functioning well is to keep a tidy home. For some personality types, this is actually essential to productivity! To practically do this, we have learned to master the “10 Minute Tidy.” We set a timer and we do as much as we can as fast as we can within that 10 minutes. It’s ridiculous how not long most tidy tasks take!

Bonus: It’s really helpful when we do this together – the “in it together” mentality gives us a little extra boost to get off the couch.

4. Use the Time Gaps

When I’m preheating the oven or waiting for water to boil, I commit to using that time like I do the 10 Minute Tidy. I get as much done during that time as I can. That might be washing the dishes, taking the trash out, clearing the fridge of old stuff (you know you have some 😂) or even replying to personal text messages and emails. Guys – I have been SHOCKED at what I could accomplish while waiting for the popcorn to pop. Raise your hand if you just stand there and stare at your phone in front of the microwave the whole time 🙋🏽 🙋🏽 😂

5. Take a Legit Lunch Break

Before you say you don’t have time, don’t say you don’t have time. 😂 But really, studies show that both productivity and the ability to effectively problem-solve are directly connected to rest. My afternoons are MUCH more productive when I actually step away from the computer and give my mind a break for an hour. I then utilize everything I mentioned above to maximize my lunch break. And sometimes, that time just includes prepping something to eat (sometimes cereal 💁🏻) and then watching an episode of TV to breathe.

So there you have it! Let’s channel our inner Mary Poppins and keep our spaces tidy so our brains can be at their best for our work and family!! How else do you balance work + home life?