Work Life Balance Part 3 by Tina Erwin

The Challenge of Working from Home
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The Karmic Savings and Loan Chapter 4??:  Work-Life Balance:       Part 3 The Challenge of Working From Home.

       Working from home saves time, gas, and offers the individual a freedom to manage their day. It can be amazing – or it can also be not – so – amazing.

       When you work from home, your day can begin at 5:30am so that you can get something done before the phone rings. You can go through all of your email so that you are completely caught up before the day starts.

       Once your day starts, you can work through lunch, stopping only for a quick bite to eat. You can work into the darkness and then read email again before you pass out in the wee hours of the morning.

       When you work from home, people think you have all the time in the world and they feel freer to impose on your time.

       Your family may be confused on what your work hours are and how you handle them because you don’t ‘leave’ and ‘come home.’ Family members may be frustrated that you aren’t giving them more time – after all, your home all day? They may also be far more demanding of your time because they cannot actually see what you do and you don’t leave for an office so they may or may not offer you the respect you deserve from working from home.

       You may be the one person who is the most confused of all. Working from home may be the ultimate challenge when it comes to setting boundaries of time management.

       You are the CEO of your life here, whether or not you work for someone else. Working from home is perhaps the most challenging work-life balancing act there is.

       If you work from home, and you have family members who are at home during the day with you, whether it is a retired spouse, children of any age, it is ultimate test of setting boundaries to insist that your family respect your ‘work’ day.

       Here are some tips and tools for managing working from home:

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·      Have a beginning and an ending for your day.

·      Tell your family what your working hours are.

·      End your day no later than 6pm.

·      Enjoy business lunches like you would in any off site office setting.

·      When you staying home for lunch, stop working. Go to a different room, eat lunch, rest if you must but stop working for a reasonable time, at least an hour.

·      If you have family errands to run, then set aside a time to just do those things.

·      If you are in the middle of a business phone call, demand, don’t ask, demand that your family respect what you are doing and not interrupt you while you are on the phone.

·      Do not let your children answer your business phone. It is unprofessional and it will hurt your business.

·      Make sure you can close off your office.

·      Do not do email on your phone after working hours.

·      Do not have your office in your bedroom because you will be telling your subconscious that your workday never ends. It is also a constant reminder of how much work is left to do. If you worked in a traditional off site office, you wouldn’t be seeing it.

·      Keep your office neat.

·      When you stop your work day, turn off your computer, turn off your lights and if necessary, close the door.

·      Take weekends off. Take holidays off.

·      Do not answer business calls on the weekend.

·      Do not answer business calls after 6pm Monday through Friday.

·      When you are with your family, give them your entire focus.

       When you do these things, you will ultimately find that you are more professional, you garner much more respect from your family and your peers will also respect you as a professional. These are the golden keys to work-life balance. It isn’t easy, but you will be physically healthier for the long term and ultimately enjoy your work life and your home life so much more!