Balancing Act: How To Create Work/Life Balance When You Work From Home

Posted on June 9, 2011 by GuestPost
Categories: Balance

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Photo by Pink Sherbet Photography

With the economy slowly trying to regain its strength, many companies have had to change their business models. Some have downsized while others have allowed employees to telecommute in order to save money and cut costs. Many new companies are completely staffed by telecommuters as they don’t want to incur the overhead of renting office space, utilities and other unforeseen expenses. Even though the idea of telecommuting may sound like you’ve just hit the jackpot, it can also be quite an adjustment as there are new rules you must adapt to in order to maintain order in your work and home life.

Here are a few key tips to help you better navigate the world of telecommuting and working from home so that you can achieve a healthy, happy balance between work and play:

Set up an office area or workstation so that you can clearly define this space as a “workspace”. Try not to have this space near a television or in the common area as it can be hard to concentrate or focus.
Set your alarm for the same time you would normally get up if you were driving to an office. It’s better to have set “telecommuting” hours so that you don’t wind up spending too little or too much time working. If you worked a 9-5 shift in the past, make this your current work shift at home and you will be able to maintain a normal routine.
Take an hour lunch break and a few small breaks throughout the day for both sanity and clarity. You are spending several hours a day on a computer without any social interaction so you need to give yourself a little time to decompress, make phone calls or just take a walk and get some fresh air.
Designate a phone line that is specifically for work calls. A land line is recommended for this purpose as you won’t feel obligated to answer any calls after your work shift has ended and any calls that are missed can leave a message that can be retrieved on the following business day.
Do not engage in work at home during the weekends unless it is absolutely necessary. You need to have time away from work and just because you work from home doesn’t mean that you should be working seven days a week.
Keep things professional. Just because you are working from home doesn’t mean you should answer the phone with the television or radio blasting in the background. Treat your work experience at home the same way you would if you worked in an office environment.

Do you have any tips for working from home? Share below.

Ripley Daniels is an editor at Without The Stress, a passport, travel visa, and immigration advisory firm located in Los Angeles.

Photo by Pink Sherbet Photography