Work at Home Routine

Email this to a friend   Print this story

Tips on how to stay sane when you work at home and how to cope with all the different aspects of a home business. It’s great working at home, being your own boss, but for some people it’s not what they expected. I’ve heard several people say they get lonely and miss being around work associates; others find it hard to stay disciplined, or they just find working at home boring. I personally don’t find it to be any of those things myself and  love working at home, but everybody’s different. Some people are almost forced to work at home, such as disabled people, single moms that can’t afford daycare, or don’t want to put their children in daycare. For these people that didn’t necessarily choose a home career it can be quite depressing. For those that chose to work at home, and don’t want to change that part of it, often times another problem arises. It can be called, “wearing all the hats syndrome”. Not o­nly do you run a business and play manager, employee, billing clerk, sales person, inventory manager, etc., with a home business, you might find yourself cleaning the house, taking care of the kids, cooking meals, folding clothes, running errands, and paying bills, all during working hours. This problem  tends to arise when there is no set work routine. It leaves o­ne feeling overwhelmed o­n a daily basis. To really enjoy a home business and keep yourself sane, it’s necessary to establish business hours and a routine. It’s best to get dressed every day at a reasonable hour, otherwise you find the whole day’s gone and you’re still in your night clothes. It’s great to be able to do that, it’s just not good to do it.  You can bet the doorbell will ring o­n the days you slack off o­n this o­ne! Give yourself a lunch break and try to eat healthy. It’s so easy working from home to walk by the fridge every thirty minutes and get a snack. Soon your body expects to be fed every couple of hours, just like a newborn. Not a good thing, especially when you start packing o­n the pounds. Try to get some fresh air every single day. It’s not good to get out of the house o­nly o­nce or twice a week. When you feel mentally happy and healthy, you will be able to stay sane with a home business. Remember, working at home can be harder than working outside the home. It’s all up to you how your business turns out; it’s a lot of responsibility. So, try not to stress yourself unnecessarily. Use phone time wisely. Enough said… As far as housework goes, and all that other stuff that messes up your work day, I found something that works and may work for you. I get up and get showered and dressed and then I spend about an hour cleaning the house. I’m usually ready to sit down and start work around nine, but if it’s ten o’clock that’s fine too. Routine, routine, routine, is the key to being successful and staying sane in a home business. Michele Miller is a home-based business owner and author of an Ebook about Medical Transcription At Home. You can visit her site at: www.medical-transcription-at-home.com