Time Management for Work Life Balance When You Work from Home
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Working from home is a lot of fun, you get to set your own schedules, be your own boss and take more time off for yourself. But, working from home is also a lot stressful especially because the line between work and life gets really blurry when you work from home. It’s easy to sneak into your home office in the middle of family time and find yourself worrying about a report or a client. That’s how most people who work from home create stress and fail to balance their work and personal life.
Here’s some tips to balance work and personal life when you work from home:
1. Set definite schedules
The biggest problem most people have working from home is the thought that they can work whenever they want. While the notion is true to an extent, let’s be a bit realistic here. It’s virtually impossible to work when your 2 year old is crying or when your kids get home and run around the house fighting. Or, when your lovely spouse needs your undivided attention.
There are two problems that can arise here:
a. You don’t get your work done
b. When you try to get work done, your family feels ignored
The best way to avoid both of them is to set schedules and let your family know about it. Setting schedule also gives you the motivation to fight procrastination and get things done.
2. Do a data dump
Picture this: You’re in the middle of a family conversation but you aren’t paying any attention, your mind is somewhere else – it’s on your work! You are stressing out about a situation at work or trying to find a solution to a problem.
That creates stress and keeps you from enjoying a relaxing time with your family. That’s the relaxation time that replenishes you and allows you to come back with more creative energy for the next day.
Here’s how to deal with it:
Take a notepad before you end your day and write down every single problem that’s on your mind.
This works by allowing your mind to understand that the problem will be taken care of and that it doesn’t need to constantly remind you of the problem’s existence.
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As someone that now works at home, I can tell you that your two points are spot on. The data dump is great, as there are always a million ideas zinging around in my head. I have a notebook that I carry around, and write the ideas down quickly, and then review and condense at the end of the day. Then I can spend my evening without the nagging feeling that there is something i should be addressing
Thanks for dropping by Steve. I love my notebook too. (Although I mindmap more these days). I can remember the days when I’d work till 1 or 2, then log off instead of turning off the computer because I wanted to be back working first thing in the morning. That just stressed me out like nothing!