If you’re a working mother who’s been wishing for a more flexible schedule, perhaps one that involves telecommuting, the perfect opportunity to approach the subject with your manager is right around the corner. From March 5-9, individuals and companies can join National Telework Week and pledge to temporarily trade in the daily commute and test out the benefits of working from home.

Last year was the inaugural year for Telework Week, which was started by Telework Exchange. The event debuted with almost 40,000 participants pledging to work from home either part or all of the week with the main goal of promoting the environmental and financial benefits of telecommuting, and the results were astounding. According to Telework Exchange, 2011’s participants, “saved $2,730,229 on commuting costs, gained back 148,692 hours into their day, and removed 1,818 tons of pollutants from the air, while refraining from driving 3,764,001 miles.” All that from just one week spent telecommuting!

But of course, there are plenty of other benefits to be gained from such a work arrangement, especially for career-and-family-minded working moms who feel overstretched. For example, telecommuting makes workers 11-15% more productive than office-bound employees, according to a 2011 study by Stanford University. And the University of Minnesota study found that telecommuters are healthier and less stressed. On average, people who work from home get an extra hour of sleep every night, have higher energy levels, and have less stress overall.

As a mother myself, I know that by working from home, I’m able to have a career I love and spend quality time with my two young sons. The extra hours in my day are spent taking my boys to school, having lunch with them, and spending quality time together, instead of stuck behind the wheel of a car, or at the office gulping down lunch in between emails.

So, with National Telework Week fast-approaching, why not take this opportunity to reconsider your work arrangement and try out telecommuting? For anyone looking to find a better balance between work and personal life, to reduce commuting costs and time, and to be more environmentally friendly, this is the perfect chance to make a big impact with minimal effort.

Sara Sutton Fell is the CEO & Founder of FlexJobs.com