How to Manage Time Working from Home

Working from home is a wonderful way to earn a living while getting to spend more time with your family and saving money that would have been spent on wardrobe, commute and restaurant meals. The major challenge of working from home is managing your time.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• A separate work area
• Organizational skills
• Self motivation

1. Have a separate work area. It is difficult to work if you have to sift through magazines, toys and books to find documents to need for your job. If you have a room to designate as an office, that is great. Otherwise, even a corner with a desk just for work will really help you to focus on your job.
2. Schedule your working time and stick to your schedule. Your personal schedule may vary from day to day, and that is alright. You don't need to work the same hours every day. What is important is to work the hours you need to meet your deadlines. Planning your hours a week in advance is an effective way to manage your working time.
3. Try to free yourself from interruptions. Screen your phone calls and do not pick up the phone unless it is an emergency. After all, if you were at the office, you would have missed these calls anyway. Try not to do housework while you are working at your job. If you have school-age children, it is easiest to schedule your working time when they are away at school. With younger children, you will probably be best able to work during their nap time, or after they have gone to bed for the night.
4. Take breaks. If you were working at a job outside the home, you would probably get an hour for lunch and a 15 minute coffee break. These breaks help prevent fatigue and burnout, and are an important part of quality control. Try to get away from your work area during your breaks, and maybe get a little fresh air. If you can, have lunch with a friend. When you are refreshed, the quality of your work will be at its best.
5. Encourage family and friends to respect your working time. Even if you try to schedule your time when other family members are away or asleep, there will come a time when you have to get some work done with your family around. They need to respect that this is a time when you are not to be disturbed. If you went to work away from home, they would have to wait for your attention until you returned. Explain that going to your work area is no different. Be sure that your children are properly supervised and have something to do while you are working.