Guest Post by Marina Chernyak
Working from home has its perks! Working your own hours on your own time, the ability to work from anywhere, and every day is take your dog to work day! However, it’s not all strawberries and champagne. One of the negatives of working from home is the fact that you have a job…but the people around you often don’t view it as work. How can it possibly be work if you’re sitting at your kitchen table in your pajamas? How can you possibly be busy at your job when you don’t actually have to be anywhere specific?
Maybe they understand that you’re working, but you have a hard time staying focused while somebody you do not see often is so close. It’s hard to go over spreadsheets when your best friend who you see only once a decade is sitting on your sofa. Having guests in your workspace can be challenging, but it’s not impossible.
- Let your guest know upfront that you will be working from 8 AM-2 PM (or whatever your schedule is) during the week. Let them know of some nearby entertaining things to do for the times that you are at work. If you worked in an office, they would expect to entertain themselves at least part of the time. It’s no different when you’re working from home.
- Have an office with a door that closes…and locks. Having a lock is not just for your bedroom door! It’s a way to discourage people from popping in for just a few moments.
- If you don’t have an office and usually work at your kitchen table, try to find a more private area. Can a corner of your bedroom be a temporary office?
- If you can make your own hours, get up before everybody is awake and get some work in. Even an hour before everybody is up and about can work wonders. Use this quiet, uninterrupted time to get the “heavy thought” items done.
- If you have any amount of control over what you do, schedule a light week for the times when you know that you will be having guests. For example, if you’re a blogger, schedule auto posts for that week, get guest bloggers, etc. Get major calls to clients done before your guests arrive if possible.
- If your guests just don’t get it, or you find yourself too distracted to work with your awesome friends and family so close, “go into the office” for a few hours each day. The office can be a coffeehouse with internet access, a quiet corner of the library, or even your car. Sometimes just being away can be helpful.
As long as you get the basics done, you will be okay. Balance can be hard to find with company in your home, but enjoying your work at home job and your guests at the same time is possible! Just don’t leave either behind.
Marina Chernyak is the co-owner of 1001Shops LLC, a one stop shop of unique imported products like Limoges, music box and many more.
Liked this post. I can relate to the problem of having guests frequently.
In my case it's often “What are you doing?..Why do you do that?..This is boring?..”
I've done the locked door thing and the getting up early or staying up late thing.
Leaving the house sounds like a great idea.
Any tips on how to sneak out without being noticed, ha,ha..
Sneak out while they're still sleeping. Coffee shops open before the sun rises… hehe
Unfortunately my office has no doors. It's like a big den. When I know I have company, I simply try to schedule my work for when they will not be here. My biggest challenge right now is juggling a work schedule while the kids are home for the summer.
I have a friend who works 9-5 in the corporate world. He thinks I just 'muck about' at home. Whenever he takes some paid holiday (yes – he still gets paid while on holiday), he invites me out to go fishing with him or to go out for a l-o-n-g lunch.
He doesn't realize this is my job and when I take any leave, I don’t get paid. Well unless someone comes to my site and buys one of my products, I suppose.
Andrew
Working in a distracted manner also seems to make the work stretch to fill up an insane number of hours. Your post reminds me that I just need to be better about setting boundaries in general, whether or not guests are are around. Thanks!
I think boundries are the hardest when you work from home, especially if
your kids are home with you. Mine just doesn't understand that sometimes
I'm working and I can't be bugged. Sigh.
I know the feeling. My family home schooled, and it was the same way.
Everyone thought since we were home all day, we did nothing, and that
since my mom wasn't at work, she could babysit everyone's kids, do extra
projects at the church and community center etc. What they didn't
realize is that us kids were doing school the same hours as everyone
else, and my mom worked more than a full time job TEACHING us.
The public school's conveyor belt education system raises what my mother
in-law calls programmed results. Adults work 9-5. You get up, go to
work, come home, go to bed, repeat. The entrepreneurial spirit is rarely
nourished and doing something different is almost out of the question.
Oh yes, and to be successful, one MUST go to college. Hmmph. Not saying
college is bad. I encourage young people to go. But, I don't agree that
it's the only way to success. Some people have a natural drive to
succeed and the business sense to do something on their own.
Ah, summer break! The kids bugging you to take them places and do fun
stuff?
Sorry, once you're an adult and you work for a living you don't get
summer break. Kiddos, enjoy it while you can! hehe
I often have trouble with working from home as I have my first baby girl and am completely new to the whole parenting thing. My girlfriend has a full time job so I usually get some work done when she's home (during most of the day) and can help with watching the baby.
I've also tried the approach of doing work when everyone else is asleep (including Erica) and getting the heavy stuff done and out of the way is a big help for sure.
Ah, I know the feeling! Mine is 3 and constantly wanting me to play with him. I do most of my work in the mornings and while he naps. He goes to bed around 9pm, so I have one hour of quiet in the evening, but I usually spend that with my husband.
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