Q: Everyone is getting mad at me because I try to do my work, but they need me for things. My kids keep interrupting me, my house needs to be cleaned, my friends call and want to chat because they know I am at home, etc. I am so stressed and don’t know what to do.
A: Welcome to the world of a home-based entrepreneur! You are discussing the very thing that will make a difference in not only your income, but your success. People have a tendency to believe that because you are home you are available, and it will be up to you to set and enforce guidelines with your spouse/significant other, children and friends. Each person has to structure their day, however, I can offer a few tips:
1. Plan your day so that you are not sitting at your computer constantly. For your own health, you need to take regular breaks. Spend these breaks to stretch and relax, spend quality time with your family, or to contact your friends.
2. Did you know that all of us need to get up and move around every hour? Why? Because our “right and left brain” function loses coordination when doing a task like typing for too long. Get up, have a drink of water, walk around and do some hand-eye tasks, etc. Simple body, mechanical motions will bring right and left brain back into harmony. Even taking a sip of water will refocus your mind.
3. If possible, be up front and ask your spouse/significant other and friends to support your decision to work from home. Ask them to honor the times you have set up when you would like to work uninterrupted. This decision may mean their help in household chores that you struggle to complete.
4. If you have small children, invest in a timer! (This was my best investment next to a computer.) Set the timer for 30 minutes and tell your small children that you have to work until the timer rings. When it rings, set the timer again for 15 minutes, and tell them you are all theirs until the timer rings again. My daughter got to a point where she even liked setting the timer for me. I found that at times, my daughter didn’t want to play with me when the timer rang because she was playing and SHE didn’t want to be interrupted.