Can You Work at Home and Have a Life?
A Home Business Article Contributed by Sarah White
Can You Work at Home and Have a Life?
It's a basic question for everyone who thinks about starting to work for themselves: Can you work at home and still have a life? Will your life be so consumed by your business that you will never leave the house, you will work all the time and you will forget your friends and family? It doesn't have to be this way if you work hard to find a balance in your work life and your away from work life.
It's Hard to Work at Home
The first obstacle is the fact that it is difficult to work at home. People sometimes don't respect the fact that you really are working when you work at home, not just goofing off. You need to set boundaries in your work life as well as in your personal life. Let people know when you are working at home, set office hours for yourself and refuse to be interrupted by things that are not work related. This can be hard if you have children in the house, but for all others you need to put your foot down and allow yourself to work when you are supposed to be working.
Similarly, you need to put your foot down with yourself and allow yourself to not be at work when you are not in your normal working hours unless there is some emergency or very pressing deadline. People need time away from work, which is difficult to come by when you work from home, so make sure you schedule time to not be working.
How to Work at Home Without Guilt
A big issue for people when they first start to work at home is guilt. You feel guilty about all the time away from friends and family that you used to give them freely. You feel guilty about wanting to take a vacation because you know there is no income coming in if you are not working. It is hard to give up this guilt, but you have to if you are going to have a normal life. Again, setting up work time and play time can be a big help in alleviating this guilt.
Also planning your vacation time well in advance so both your wallet and your clients are ready for it is imperative. Don't worry about your business when you are not working. Allow your friends and family to see you as you are, not the crazed workaholic you are during business hours.
When Disaster Strikes When You Work at Home
Bad things happen to people all the time. You or a family member could get sick, someone could die. Or any number of things could happen that require you to take time off from your work at home business. This is why it is important to have a plan and to have some savings before you quit your day job so if there is ever a time when you really can't work you can still pay the rent and deal with what you have to deal with without worrying that your business is going to go under.
Yes, you can work at home and have a life. It will be a different life than the one you had before, but if you can be firm and find balance, taking time for yourself when you need to, you wil thrive.
