Getting the balance between your work life and your home life can be difficult, and this is especially true when you are working from home. However, trying to divide your time between domestic duties and your professional life will be much easier if you follow the following simple tips for success.
The first thing you need to think about is how you manage your stress levels. Taking care of problems at home and at work at the same time can lead to higher stress levels than if you were able to leave your work stress behind when finishing up the working day. This can make you feel less able to relax and unwind in your home. It is very important to create a buffer between your work life and your home life by making sure you get some alone time, time to unwind or do something you enjoy. This might mean taking a break and listening to your favorite music or heading out to the gym or for a jog after finishing working from home and before beginning household tasks.
If you have children, then making sure you have quality, reliable childcare while you work is essential. Whether the children are cared for in the home or elsewhere, if are thinking about childcare, you will find it hard to focus on your work. You need to feel entirely confident in the care you choose for your children so that you are able to work without distracting thoughts, and also so that you can work without being interrupted unnecessarily by unreliable childcare providers. Always interview potential childcare providers and explain your working patterns to ensure they can provide compatible care while you are working from home.
It can be tempting when working from home to let your workspace become cluttered and untidy. This can have a major impact on your work efficiency, and it can also affect your mood. In the home, clutter and disorganized surroundings can impact your ability to work, as you find yourself feeling like you should take a break from work to do household chores. Staying organized in work and in the home will help you manage stress and get things done. Keep planners and calendars separate so that you are able to plan things in advance and prepare effectively for days ahead. Invest in good storage solutions so that everything has a place - this will make working from home so much easier.
Talking to your family about work, letting them see what you are up to and explaining any difficulties you come up against can be a good way of involving them in your professional life when you are working from home. You might just find that your family becomes your very own success coach! This is a great way of helping them to understand times when you may be extra busy or a little more stressed.