Separating Work From Work at Home
By Kim Haas
In order to work from home effectively, you will need to establish some
limits or rules which you, your family and friends can live with. You and
only you can decide what it takes for the perfect balance. When those balance
scales tip in either direction, you are going to be facing problems you
might not have been prepared to deal with. Here are some tips for helping
to keep the balance in your business and your home.
Work Schedule
Being self employed gives us the opportunity to work flexible hours
and set our own hours, however you must also remain disciplined enough
to spend the time necessary to make your business go. You can't expect
to just set up shop and then walk away from it. Any new business requires
2 to 4 years of hard work before you can begin enjoying the benefits of
being a business owner. On the other hand, you can't work constantly and
not expect your family to end up resenting you for it.
- Set up a schedule for yourself that will not be too stressful. If
you don't follow a set schedule, you could be adding additional stress
to your life instead of avoiding it by working for yourself. Be sure to
allow yourself time for family, exercise, play and business. You'll find
that by using an appointment calendar, you can easily plan for activities
without cutting any area short.
- Working from home allows you to work late into the evening. This could
cause work "burnout", so be sure to make up a realistic schedule and stick
to it. Symptoms of burnout include lack of energy, unhappiness with your
business, poor job performance, isolation, negativity and increased illness.
Take time for yourself as well as your business.
Housework
Keeping your home in order when you have a home office can be difficult.
If you're a tidy person, you probably won't be able to just walk past those
dirty dishes in the sink or that pile of laundry screaming your name during
your work hours. Resisting the urge to clean up is a "learned response".
It sometimes takes practice to be able to step over the toys lying in the
hallway instead of picking them up and putting them in the kids' rooms.
If you can't learn to do this, you will probably have a difficult time
concentrating on your business because housework never gets done and stays
that way.
This would be a good time to get your kids involved in the household
chores. Try using a weekly Chore Chart. On the left side of our chore chart,
write a list of things that the kids can handle doing on their own; cleaning
their room, feeding the dog, taking out the garbage etc. Provide blank
spaces for additional chores the kids do on their own without being asked.
Each evening the kids check off which chores they completed and at the
end of the week, tally up marks and hand out allowances. Plan on using
some of your free time in the evenings or weekends for handling the work
that can't or doesn't get done.
Family
When you work out of your home, you need to make special considerations
with your family and pets in relation to customers in your home.
- Make certain your children know that your work space is off limits
to them. Your office equipment, files and supplies are an important part
of your business and should not left lying around the house. If your office
is in a separate area of your home, teach your children to knock on the
door, especially if your door is closed.
- Be sure to let everyone know your office hours to minimize unexpected
drop-ins during your work or personal time. Having a neighbor drop in for
coffee while you're servicing a customer or holding an important business
meeting looks unprofessional, not to mention it could be embarrassing for
you.
- If you have pets in your home, try to keep them out of the area where
you are working. Some people have allergies and others simply don't like
animals. If you are expecting a client to visit your home office, make
sure your dog or cat is kept away from them.
Simple scheduling can make a big difference when you work at home. By
finding the perfect balance between work and family, you'll find that you
are much more productive in your home business and your family will be
a lot easier to get along with.
|
