Working from home is an amazing experience. In our last blog post we discussed the numerous upsides and pleasure of working from home such as setting your own hours, being your own boss, not having to commute and determining what you earn when you earn it. These are all fantastic benefits. However as with all career choices there are also downsides. The good news is that they are all very easy to overcome and this simple guide tells you exactly how to do that.
1. It can be difficult to separate your work life from your home life
The comforts of working from home are numerous. However one issue can be staying focused on work and not getting get distracted by your family, the television or suddenly deciding to do all the chores you haven’t done for ages and which suddenly seem so appealing when you’re faced with the prospect of working all day. Here are some top tips on how to avoid this pitfall.
· If you have a spare room, set yourself up with a little office with a proper desk, your computer, a printer, a telephone and all the stationery you need. Make sure that there is no TV in the room to tempt you into watching our favourite programmes
· If you live with family members, tell them that whenever the door to your office is shut you are not to be disturbed
· If you don’t have a spare room then trial and error will help you decide what works best for you. Just make sure you set aside a dedicated area in your home however small, that is your workspace and always try to work in the area. This will help your brain get into work mode whenever you sit there. Don’t however be tempted to work in bed as this can lead to you feeling like you want to sleep while you’re working and not being able to sleep at bedtime for worrying about work. Try a few different areas and then pick your favourite.
2. You need to plan your working week to ensure you get all your work done
Another major benefit of working from home is that you can set your own hours and have time during the week, when everyone else is on the office, to do the things you enjoy such as going shopping while it’s quiet, working out, walking in the park or doing a hobby such as martial arts or a cookery course. The flip side of this is that you must be disciplined enough to make sure you prioritise your workload so you can enjoy yourself with a clear conscience.
· It is a good idea to plan your work week in advance so you know exactly how many hours each day you are going to spend working and when and how many relaxing. This may seem a bit daunting at first but wil get easier with practice. Remember if you are an early riser you can plan to work early mornings or if you are a night owl you can sleep late and work in the evenings. It’s up to you and either or a mix of both is fine as long as you get the work done.
· Keep a diary on the wall above your desk with all your work meetings and appointments as well as all your relaxation and leisure activities. This way you only have to glance up to see how you are managing your work life balance and also make sure you get everywhere on time! If you prefer you can use an electronic diary on your computer, but remember to check it every day!
3. It can get lonely working from home
I love the peace and tranquility of working alone from home, but for some people it can be a bit lonely in the early stages while you are adjusting to life away from the office. If you’re not careful this can demotivate you and make you less productive. Here are some tips to keep you motivated and stop you feeling lonely.
· Make sure you have planned at least 2 evenings out (or in) with friends, one during the week and one at the weekend. This way you know you have some company to look forward to!
· At lunchtime call a family member or friend for a chat, catch up on personal emails or go for a walk somewhere fairly busy so that you are interacting with people for a little while every day.
· Take advantage of your new flexible lifestyle and the fact that you can take a 2 hour lunchbreak if you wish, and enroll in a lunchtime or evening class once or twice a week. Take those Spanish lessons or that Thai cookery course or go kickboxing or horseriding or learn to play a musical instrument like you’ve been promising yourself you would for years! This is one of the major of working from home after all!
4. It can be hard to motivate yourself to work at first.
When you work in an office the banter of your workmates and the beady eye of your boss tend to keep you motivated and ensure you get cracking in the morning and work at a steady pace all day. Some people initially find it harder to get motivated without a team of people around them. Here’s how to keep yourself pumped up and motivated at home.
· When you wake up, don’t be tempted to lounge around in your pyjamas all day every day. Ye this is great to do once in a while if you have no meetings, but especially at the beginning when you are finding your feet, get up and shower and put on some comfortable but presentable clothes. This will invigorate you and keep you alert for work. Once you get used to working for yourself by all means have the odd day in your PJs!
· While you are getting ready and preparing for the day put on the radio or your favourite upbeat Cd to get you in a good mood and rev you up to work.
· Sign up to Team BeachBody Club for just $2.99 a week and workout with fabulous VIP trainers in the comfort of your own home at least 3 times a week. It’s low cost and will keep your energy at a peak so you can work effectively all afternoon. Exercise releases endorphins that make you feel great about yourself and of course there is the added benefit of looking fantastic!
5. Not being taken seriously by friends and family
Our friends and family love us but occasionally they think they know what is best for us and can be negative about our new ventures such as working from home in a bid to try to make us “see sense” and do things the “normal” way. People fear change and your friends and family may be fearful for you when you start your own business. Remember they are only trying to help and quietly stand your ground while reinforcing your reasons for making the change.
· Listen to their point of view and keep in mind that while any negative feedback or joking around about your new business venture may be annoying, it could also raise some interesting issues that you hadn’t considered and can now address.
· Take it as the perfect opportunity to reaffirm to yourself and them why you are undertaking this new business venture in the first place. Tell them all the benefits to you of working from home and also let them know that you are aware of the pitfalls and what you have done to avoid them. Use these blog posts as a base for your affirmations that you have made the right decision for you.
· Don’t complain to all and sundry about any of the difficulties of working from home. If you need to talk to someone, pick one trusted friend or a family member who is not financially dependent on you and confide in them. Or better yet get a mentor or a life coach. Often successful business people will mentor ne entrepreneurs for free as they like to give something back to the community. Go to a couple of business networking events and get talking to an entrepreneur who is more experienced than you and ask them to mentor you once a month. Lots of us have a personal trainer or coach to motivate us and keep us focused when we workout, well the same applies to your working life! A work coach or mentor will be able to give you great advice about your new business without injecting their personal feelings. Your family will have their emotions engaged but your coach will be totally objective.
Above all always have in mind the reasons why you decided to work from home and be your own boss in the first place and make sure you actually take advantage of all the benefits so that you make this the single most brilliant experience of your life and change your life for the better forever.
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