Too many work at home moms fall into the trap of eating poorly, neglecting excercise (unless you count those terrifying dashes after a toddler who`s headed for the street) and not sleeping enough.

Some things are out of your control. You can`t really do an awful lot if your baby is waking up a couple of times in the night and you can`t stop your 10 year old from getting the flu. But there are things you can control and they greatly affect how productive you are in your business.

Sleep. Yes, work at home moms are notorious for staying up half the night, just to get some kid-free time, but consider this . . . if you are able to be more productive simply by sleeping one hour earlier each night, you can easily make that up and you`ll feel better. Quality of sleep is important, too, so if there is something that isn`t letting you sleep well, consider changing the way or where you sleep.

Eating. Food is fuel for our bodies, but a lot of work at home moms find themselves skipping meals (though they prepare them for the kids!), drinking soft drinks and grabbing carb and sugar loaded snacks to keep their energy up. That`s a little like using cooking oil on your sewing machine . . . it might work for a while but pretty soon everything will just be gummed up! You don`t have to go vegan or raw to start feeling more energy, just simply eating 3 healthy meals a day, or making an effort to increase the number of fruits and vegetables consumed can really make a difference.

Drinking. No, I`m not talking vodka here. Water is a vital liquid that most of us just don`t get enough of. It`s really easy to ignore the slight thirst that signals dehydration or try to quench it with fruit juice or soda. Getting plenty of water each day will keep you more alert . . . after all, your brain is mostly made up of water! Try increasing slowly if it`s too difficult to boost your water intake all at once.

Sugar. Sugar can be good. In moderation. When you are downing chocolate bars to keep your energy up, you`re risking a few nasty side effects. First of all, there`s weight gain to consider, which is a great way to make yourself even more unproductive. And then you also have to keep in mind that chocolate and other candies raise your blood sugar so quickly and then fall again that you will find yourself crashing after that initial burst of energy.

Exercise. How often do you, as a work at home mom, get out to exercise? Or even follow a video through in your living room. I have to admit, this is one area that I`m not good at sticking with, but it does make a major difference in productivity. Just a short walk or kicking the ball around with the kids for a few minutes can make all the difference in your energy levels.

Weight. Excessive weight causes your entire body to work harder, which means you are using valuable energy just being alive when you could use it to do something productive on your business. It`s not easy to lose weight and I`m still working on this one, but it`s certainly an area to consider.

What are you doing to keep yourself unproductive? Are you ready to stop and make your business thrive by actually putting your all into it and having energy left over?

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