Home sweet home. There’s nothing quite like finding your own little corner of the world to make your own and keep you feeling comfortable. Your own personal sanctuary!
But what happens when the line between your home life and your work life isn’t exactly clear? That’s what can happen when you work from home and make some terrible mistakes! What was once your little slice of heaven, can be overrun with stress!
Working from home can be incredibly rewarding, but it isn’t all it’s cracked up to be if you don’t do it right! Here are the top five WORST mistakes you should avoid while working from home!
Number One: Doing All Your Chores, While Doing All Your Work
It’s true that your kitchen should always be the heart of your home, but that doesn’t mean you should be cooking dinner, doing the dishes, and working all at the same time! When it comes to working from home, some people have a problem separating their work from their chores around the house.
Make sure when you are working, that you are focused on the task at hand. Don’t make the mistake of doing chores, cooking, hanging out with your spouse, and making your work blend into your home life completely. This only creates chaos! Do your work, but don’t get distracted by all the things to do at home!
Number Two: No Space to Work!
One of the biggest, and most common, mistakes that you should avoid while working from home is not having a designated work space. You should not only have an office, but you should make your office comfortable and practical!
If you don’t have a work space in your home, then your work will one day take it over! You’ll find tax documents in the living room, client meeting notes in the kitchen, your work cell in the dining room, and your mountain of a to-do list piled up next to your bed with your laptop. This is no way to live! Keep it separated, so that your entire home isn’t your office.
Number Three: Never Leaving the House
It’s tempting, when you work from home, to never leave. To never change out of your pajamas. To stay in your cozy cell, and basically lose all track of time and space.
Don’t do that. Get out of the house! Don’t spend all day working, then all night being in your home! Here are a few ways that you can make it out of the house during the week!
- Meet friends for your “Lunch Break”. That’s right, make a lunch break for yourself, and go hang out with your friends who work typical 9-5 jobs. Meet them at a restaurant, and make some personal connections! The mental health benefits of making human to human connections are significant, so make sure to get out and spend time with other people!
- Go for a walk. On your fifteen-minute break, or simply in between assignments, take a walk outside! Maybe even schedule it into your day!
- Coffee shop office days. If you work remotely on your laptop, then you can schedule some days to work remotely at a coffee shop, restaurant, at a park, or even at the library! Get your office to go with you for a day, or even two, out of your work week.
Don’t make the mistake of never leaving your home, because life doesn’t happen in just your house!
Number Four: Sporadic Work Hours
Just because you work from home doesn’t mean you can’t have work hours. Don’t answer work emails at 10pm. Don’t have dinner with your family and take client calls between bites. Make sure you have designated work hours, you stick to them, and your home and work life will peacefully co-exist!
Number Five: You Don’t Take Breaks
Just because you work from home doesn’t mean you can’t treat yourself to a break. Take time for yourself by maybe doing a workout. Boost your health, and your happiness, and buy yourself a bouquet of flowers! Practice self-care!
If you don’t work the “normal” 9-5, and you don’t stop working from when you wake up until you go to bed, you’ll never find a way to enjoy being at home! Sure, there are some perks, but you have to take the time to make the time for yourself and your family!
Avoid the Pitfalls!
Stay far, far, far away from doing any of these five mistakes while working from home. If you can avoid these things, you’ll be well on your way to a successful at home career.
Have an office, take the time for yourself, and make sure to GET OUT every once in a while. If you can keep away from these worst at home mistakes, then you can truly enjoy working from the comfort of your home!
To read more on topics like this, check out the lifestyle category.
Leave a Reply