Working from home can seem like the best circumstances ever to be able to raise a family. For many it means flexible hours, not having to deal with the commute to an office, or being able to work in intervals so that you can attend to your kids.
Anyone who’s worked at home before, however, knows that it’s not always a walk in the park. Sometimes the convenience of having your family near to be able to take care of them can work against you. With your workspace being in the same area as your home, the lines between work duties and domestic duties can become blurred.
When you’re at the office you are totally engrossed in your work environment and temptations, like doing the dishes, or reorganizing the closet, don’t arise.
Sometimes the duties of home life become so distracting your job can suffer because of it. Here are some remedies to maximize your productivity when some of the challenges of working from home come up.
Use a Shared Office Space
If you have a smaller home or children that are particularly rambunctious sometimes being able to focus can be impossible. Perhaps if you have a job that requires skype or phone calls frequently your kids are posing a serious obstacle.
This is where an office away from home becomes a necessity. The price of a single office all to yourself can be an enormous expense, which isn’t normally financially reasonable for an at home entrepreneur.
Paying for a shared office space is a super economical way to be able to work in a professional atmosphere without having to pay the price.
Create a Schedule
The flexible schedule can sometimes work against you. The lack of normalcy and structure can cause you to lose time in your day.
Creating a schedule is a great way to stay on top of your tasks and make sure that you fit in your to-do’s within the window of time you have before it’s time to tend to the kids’ baths, dinners etc.
Get Dressed
Sometimes working from home, living at home, and taking care of your children at home can lead to feelings of isolation and cabin fever. Living in your pajamas can start to make you feel like a house slave. Sometimes the act of simply getting dress as if you are going to leave the house can make a huge impact on your day.
Try waking up and going through all the same motions that you would do if you were going to the office. This little ritual makes you feel a little less domestic and more like you’re still a part of the world outside.
Originally posted on December 17, 2016 @ 1:14 pm