Saturday, November 21, 2009

Work-at-home tips

I've been asked for some 'work from home' tips about how to draw the line between work and family.  Here's what I do:
  •  I don't have my own study or office at home, but I have established a distinct area of the house for my desk and filing cabinet, and don't use this area for 'non-work' activities. When I'm sitting at my desk, I'm working.
  • If I want to 'surf the net', get on facebook with my friends or send some personal emails, I'll unplug the laptop and sit on the lounge and do this so that it 'feels' different.
  • I use 'school hours' for work. I break for the afternoon and spend time with my daughters, then may do some more work in the evening, particularly if my husband has some papers to mark (he's an academic, so we both work from home and get to spend time together during the day, at lunch time etc).
  • I don't do any housework during 'work hours', despite the temptation of the washing baskets etc. I will go to the local gym for half an hour to break up the day instead. I figure that, when I worked in an office, I used to exercise at lunch time, so this is a great habit to keep (rather than neglect exercise in favour of housework).
  • I've educated my children that, while I'm at home, I'm working - this means that I can volunteer in their classrooms once a week and attend special assemblies, but doesn't mean I can be serving in the school canteen each day (like they thought!)
  • We have Friday 'date night' each week, and we ban ourselves from any work - whether we go out or stay in for our date.
  • I try to establish weekends as family time, so that they do feel different and we can truly wind down.
  • While I don't do this myself, I know that some people find it useful to change into 'work clothes' at home during working hours, and to establish set hours. In my case, I prefer to be comfortable at my desk and to have a flexible schedule - this is pure individual choice.
  • I don't hold meetings or conduct coaching appointments in my home - I always meet clients and colleagues somewhere else. This keeps the home as our family sanctuary.
  • I confine my work 'stuff' to the desk area, rather than spreading it all over the house/kitchen bench etc. That way, we can all enjoy these areas of the house as a family, rather than viewing the home as one giant office!
  • I'll do something, like take the dog for a walk, if I feel the need to wind down from work before the family shift begins. I'll also consciously switch off my conversation from work matters (even if my mind is still racing) and think of other things to talk about (so that my time in the house doesn't start to feel one-dimensional).
  • I'll schedule some actitivies, appointments and meetings out of the house so as not to feel 'trapped' at home.
If you have other suggestions, please add them in the comments field.  I'd love to hear them!

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