by Kelly Lowe
Home business professionals have many reasons for choosing to work from home. These reasons generally include spending more time with our families, setting our own work hours, having more freedom to do the things we want to do, and controlling
our own destinies.
These are all good, valid reasons for choosing to work from home. Unfortunately, many home business professionals lose
sight of the reasons they started working from home in the first place.
Anyone who operates a home business knows that we tend to work twice as many hours as those who work in traditional
businesses. Many home business professionals become work-a-holics, spending twelve to twenty hours per day,
seven days a week, working. It becomes a habit.
This habit can jeapordize your health and your family. It can take away your joy of living. One day, you will wake up
and find that you have lost everything that you were working from home to have.
There are ways to avoid developing this habit. If you already have this habit, there are ways to break it.
Start by setting regular “office” hours, and regular “work” days. Let your family know what these hours are.
When you make your work schedule, make sure that all of your tasks are scheduled during these hours – no exceptions and no excuses. If you are already a work-a-holic, this will be hard to adjust, but you can adjust if you work at it. If you are not yet a work-a-holic, determine work days and hours, make a schedule, and stick to it from the very beginning.
Schedule two days off each week. This is your weekend, and should coincide with your family’s weekend. Not checking your email for two solid days will be tough, but you can do it. Turn the computer off, close the door to your office, and go
“home” for the weekend.
Make plans with your family. Get out of the house. Take your spouse for a walk. Go on a picnic. Go see a movie. It doesn’t matter what you do, as long as it isn’t work, and it includes your family.
If there are no family events planned for your weekend, find a hobby. Make sure your hobby doesn’t have anything to do with your work, and try to include your family. The point of working at home, was to have more time to spend with these important people.
During your work week, after quitting time, take some time for yourself to recharge your batteries. Try to avoid thinking about work. Eat meals with your family, watch television with them, play a board game or cards. Whatever you do, make sure that your office door remains closed until it is time to work again.
It is a good idea to plan at least one week long vacation during the year. Your business will not fail if you take a week off. It may fail if you constantly take a week off, however. The key is to know how much is too much, and how little is not enough.
It doesn’t matter what you do, as long as you aren’t working during your “off” time. Taking time off will refresh you. You will be rested and ready to go when it is time to work again. You will find that you enjoy life more. You will enjoy working from home more. Your health may improve if you get more exercise as well. Your family will certainly enjoy having your time and attention.
About the author:
Kelly Lowe offers Home Business Coaching, and a variety of other services for home business professionals at affordable rates. Visit her site, All Business Publishing, at http://www.allbusinesspublishing.com