Many women work from home these days, and we are creating home offices for our work-at-home jobs. There are obvious benefits- more time at home with the family, no commute or transportation expense, and no dressing up for the office. On the other hand, there are constant interruptions and distractions, or chores, and the lack of adult socialization with the outside world.
It’s a big decision, but because women want to be able to work while still having a flexible schedule for their family, home-based businesses are being created in record numbers. If you find yourself breaking out of the mold and starting a home business too, here are some tips to help you out…
.
How To Balance Work & Family
1. Keep your office space and office hours off-limits except for emergencies. No friends popping over, no kids running in to use your computer. Let everyone know your working hours and enforce them as though you were working outside the home and not even present.
2. Stop burning the midnight oil, and stop working weekends. You need sleep and a life outside of work, or you will burn out and not give anyone, your family or your work, your best.
3. When you are working, stay focused on your work (hire someone to do chores or watch your kids for a few hours in another room if you need to), and use planners, To Do lists, and a Fellowes 79Ci shredder to keep you, your schedule, and paperwork organized, focused, and streamlined.
4. When you are with your family, turn social media, phones, tablets, etc off or you may be tempted to respond to work emails the entire time you are at your son’s school play. Give your family your full attention when your office hours are over.
5. Somewhere in the midst of work and family, take some time for yourself so you don’t burn out! We get so busy balancing our jobs and our families that we forget we need to be taken care of too.
I created a home office some time back where I write blog posts, take pictures, edit photos, and more. It’s my space, off limits to the rest of the family:
Here is my rainbow hanging file drawer (I love rainbows and color), and it organizes everything. This is a new addition after the holidays this year, because after shredding what I didn’t need, I still had a lot of disorganized paperwork that was important in different places. I organized everything that matters, including old tax papers from the last seven years, into this one large file drawer:
Everything that wasn’t important was sent off to my beloved Fellowes 79Ci shredder to be vaporized into secure, recyclable waste (this shredder never clogs – 100% Jam proof- and speedily shreds everything from stacks of paper 16 pages thick to credit cards and CDs, so it takes care of everything for me). My office and home are so much more organized now, and I feel more relaxed, surrounded by order and knowing where all my important paperwork is.
If you are in a post holiday funk (I hear the grumblings, I know many of you are), a good way to start over fresh and feel rejuvenated is to toss the clutter and clear the desk. Spend an afternoon sorting through your papers, shred old or unnecessary paperwork, and reorganize what you do need. Pretty hanging files and the top-selling Fellowes 79Ci shredder can help make this process super fast and efficient for you, and help you keep what you need within easy reach while taking away any worry that sensitive information might be exposed when you toss the rest (the 79Ci shredder cross cuts with heavy duty blades and runs for 20 minutes straight- no one will get their hands on your info).
Since we have kids, I still need to prioritize safety in case they sneak into my office. The hidden hanging file drawer is awesome, way better than the metal cabinet with sharp corners we used to have. The patented SafeSense® Technology of the 79Ci automatically stops shredding when hands touch the paper opening, so their little fingers are safe there too, and SilentShred™ Technology means I can use it after they go to bed. All great things for work-at-home moms with little ones.
In 2016, create balance. Keep your priorities straight and cut the clutter!
The 79Ci is available at Amazon and Office Superstores with a suggested retail price of $169.99. How will you organize your space this year?
Partnered post