Creating Balance is Key to Work from Home Success

Tips for Creating the Perfect Work-Life Balance

Work-from-home professionals face a unique challenge when it comes to creating balance – separating work time from home time is hard when your work is in your home! A good work-life balance is important for any business professional, but keeping this balance in check when working from home can be difficult but possible. Here are some tips to keep work life and family life in balance when working out of a home office.

Creating a Defined Work Space in the Home is Important

One of the first steps to creating and maintaining a healthy work-life balance is defining a workspace. Whether this space in an entire room or just a desk in the dining room, even more important than defining the space is keeping it strictly an area where business gets accomplished. Make sure to eliminate any personal clutter such as bills or mail and only use that area for working – personal items of this nature can be extremely distracting and will continue to blur the lines between “work” and “home.”

Keep Strict, Consistent Working Hours

Setting work hours is also essential in creating a good balance when working from a home office. Set hours are a great way to define boundaries for when clients can and cannot contact you and allows for time throughout the week for family. Setting up automatic replies outside of working hours helps minimize interruptions during family time, and letting loved ones know no to disturb excessively during working hours can help allow for more productivity with work.

Enjoy Family Time!

Just like 9 to 5 business professionals enjoy weekends off, so should work-from-home professionals. Although the temptation to work during this time will always be there, it is important to remember that personal time is just as important as work. If powering down the computer and cell phone is what needs to be done to help stay off them during free time that is what you need to do! Taking the time to create a work-life balance will mean nothing if family and fun is constantly being interrupted by work.

Just because you do not work in an office with set hours every week does not mean that you need to be working all the time! Although work-from-home professionals sometimes face challenges creating balance in their lives, it is possible to achieve by setting boundaries and making sure that work does not encompass their whole lives. A good work-life balance is essential in achieving both professional and personal goals.

Need more tips on how to work from home? Perhaps a business mentor can help you get organized and on the road  to success! If you would like to contact Stacy O'Quinn to see how he can help you, click here.

*Photo Courtesy of _gee_ via Creative Commons License