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10 Tips for Staying Sane While Working from Home

by terrapin719

Last updated: 01/08/2012
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Working from Home Can Often Turn Into a Balancing Act of Chaos!

Believe me, as a mom of four boys I know a thing or two about chaos.

The duties of work and home begin to overlap, and often one can take over - usually without you even realizing that it's happened.

Many parents decide to work at home to spend more time with their families, but end up dedicating even more time to work than they originally planned. I have definitely been there and done that a time or two myself.

Here are a few tips to help you juggle and stay sane during your work at home journey.

1. Get organized.

Figure out what your goals and priorities are, in your business and in your personal life, then figure out how to achieve them. Then put your house, office, and life in general, together in a way that will help you achieve your goals.

2. Lists, lists, lists.

One you have your plans and goals, make to-do lists. Try to organize your lists by priority. If something doesn't get done, it probably wasn't that important anyway.

3. Multitask.

At some point, you're probably going to get burnt out doing things that seem tedious or that you just don't want to do. Try mixing it up. If something is really stressing you out, go on to something else and come back. As a WAHM, there's always something else that needs to get done.

4. Set work hours, and follow them.

Set work hours for times when the kids aren't around, or don't require a lot of attention. When your work hours are done, stop working. If you can't manage to get your work done, you may need to reset your work hours, but you most likely need to look at how much work you can actually take on.

5. Make a separate space for work and family.

whenever possible!

While it may be easy to work and play in the same area, it helps to have a dedicated office area when you work from home. This will help you focus on what you need to be doing, and even help protect you from getting your work disrupted by your family.

6. Get the family to help.

Sure, if your kids are young, they aren't going to be able to help with much, but even very small children can often help organize the house or dry dishes. Make sure everyone does their part.

7. Take time for you.

super important

When balancing work and family, you often forget an important part of the equation: you. When scheduling your work and family, always schedule some time to relax, socialize, and do what you like to do.

8. Make friends.

Even if you don't get to see them a lot, friends are an important part of maintaining your physical and mental health. Remember to take time to keep your friendships alive.

9. Stay positive.

One of the biggest keys to success is keeping a positive attitude. You'll be surprised what you can accomplish as long as you believe you can do it. Plus, you'll be setting a great life example for your kids at the same time.

10. Remember that you are unique.

Trying to fit into someone else's schedule and someone else's plan isn't necessarily going to be successful. You need to tailor your plan into your family's unique needs and find something that works for you.

It's a WAHM Thing

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This UpMarket page written by

terrapin719

Loretta Oliver, work at home mom since 2001 specializing in transcription.

I've been working from home for the past 9 years now and I love every... more »

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