You started working at home for the flexible schedule, to be your own boss and to (hopefully) feel less stressed by your work. So why do you find yourself working long hours and feeling more stressed than ever?
While working at home has some serious perks, it comes with a whole new set of stress factors you may not have anticipated. Just as with any job, you have to learn how to manage your stress to be successful.
Tight Turnarounds
When you work at home, clients must think you have all of the time in the world, because they insist on deadlines that seem impossible. The daunting amount of work you have due far too soon is enough to have anyone biting their nails.
To manage this stress factor, spend time every day making a to-do list of the most important things that need to be done. Also, avoid taking on more work than you can handle, because you’ll just cause more stress if you do. So tell that online college you only have time for one tutoring session, or whatever the case may be.
Distractions
Getting work done at home can be difficult because other people, maybe even yourself, have trouble understanding when you’re at work and when you’re not. Your family may be tempted to talk to you or you may be tempted to watch television or chat on the phone. Before you know it, the day has gone you got nothing done. Talk about stress!
To mend this problem, it’s a good idea to set up a schedule so family members know when you’re working and shouldn’t be disturbed. Working in an office-like setting can help you stay focused as well. Instead of propping up on your couch with a lap top, try setting up a desk in the corner of a room and designate it as your work area.
Crazy Schedules (or the Lack of One)
The flexible schedule that lured you in to working at home can soon turn into your biggest cause of stress. Without designated working hours, you may find yourself working long hours and feeling like you can’t stop working. This takes a toll, but can also damage personal relationships causing – you guessed it – more stress.
To avoid this problem, you have to learn when to stop working. A schedule is a good idea for this as well. You don’t have to work nine to five, but it is a good idea to decide when you start and stop working every day so you’re not tempted to keep going and going. And when time comes to stop, completely disconnect from your work. It will be there tomorrow and you’ll have a fresh perspective.
Michelle is an aspiring writer who currently works for a military friendly college. When she’s not working she loves writing about anything and everything and blogs as much as she can. She loves that blogging allows her to share her writing with an unlimited audience.
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