| SolveYourProblem Article Series: Time Management
How Can I Manage My Time Better?
Managing
Your Time When Working at Home
Working
at home can cause a number of problems with regard to workers having to integrate work and domestic
responsibilities in one arena. Because there is not a physical
removal from your domestic situation when you begin work, it
is essential that you care for your work time and space, otherwise
chaos in the home workplace environment is quite common. There
are five simple ways to set boundaries between work and your
personal life while working at home.
The
first way to set a boundary is through adequate and accurate
communication. Because working at home is often confused with
being at home, your work must be a family effort. It is essential
to communicate with every member of the family, including children,
the boundary of your work time and space. It can be difficult
for children to understand that you aren't available even though
you're sitting right there at your desk or at the computer.
As a result, it is very important that you talk with them to
help them learn respect for your time and space boundaries
with regard to your job. The best way to do this is to communicate
limitations as early as possible. Create rules and any reminders,
like posters or signs that might help the children understand
your work needs. Spouses can also misunderstand your needs.
Be sure to effectively discuss your work hours with them so
they know you are off limits during that time to run errands
or help them with their tasks as well.
Another
way to set an effective boundary is by setting limits for
your self. You can start by setting a rigid work schedule.
Not only do you need to set a work time, but you also have
to stick with it without fail. It might be helpful to publicize
your work hours on your website, in your newsletter, or find
some other way of letting your clients and bosses know when
you will and will not be working. It is also essential that
your family understand your schedule. This will help keep them
from interfering with your work time. You might also consider
setting limits with regard to distractions you know you are
likely to face. For example, if your teenager is constantly
playing his stereo too loudly during your work hours, set a
no television or stereo rule during your posted hours. If you
are likely to work on laundry instead of meeting your deadline,
set the limit for yourself that you will not leave your office
once you have entered. Moreover, it might be worthwhile to
have a few things on hand in your office like a mini fridge
stocked with water so you won't have to leave your office to
get a drink. Leaving your office might distract you from your
work tasks at hand.
Setting
effective boundaries can also mean setting physical and
mental boundaries. The first way to do this is to consider
your ideal office space. If the space available in your home
works with this, make it happen. If it does not, adapt your
space. Many folks who work from home simply do not have the
space for a private office. Lots of people share a common room,
a section of a bedroom, or another area that is used for a
variety of purposes in the home. If you can't have a closed
office, it is important to make the space functional for you.
Some of the best home offices aren't private, but make excellent
use of items like shelving, plants, and curtains to make their
office space feel more like an office. If you are lucky enough
to have an office, be sure that it has a door. Also be sure
that you communicate with your family that a closed door means
you cannot be disturbed.
A fourth way to set an effective boundary is to minimize
phone interruptions. You can do this by screening your calls with
an answering machine, purchasing a second line or a cellular
phone, or investing in a software program that helps you decide
whether to terminate your dial-up connection to take a phone
call.
One final way to set an effective boundary is learn
to say no. If you need someone to call you back during your leisure
time, say so. This is also true of a client who needs something
during your leisure time. Click here to discover my current SolveYourProblem recommendation and choice pick for the fastest, easiest and best time management solution you'll find anywhere. Get it and reward yourself by doing more in less time than you ever thought possible.
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by SolveYourProblem.com
: 2006
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