Tips for Working from Home

By Devon Dupuis, FLVS HR Marketing Specialist

 

For most folks, when we think about “home,” we think about our kids playing, dogs barking, laundry piled up in the hamper, dinner ingredients waiting to be prepped, and all of the other wonderful things that come with having a homestead. We love it, but it can be a bit overwhelming at times.

So, when someone mentions the idea of adding your day job to everything else that goes on under that roof, your mind goes into defense mode. Work from home? How can I possibly separate house/family obligations and work obligations when they are under the same roof? Won’t the lines between the two begin to blur before I even get started? These are all very reasonable concerns, but there are some simple ways you can overcome them and turn working from home into a dream job!

Choose Your Workspace

The first step to a successful work environment at home is choosing a designated workspace. Ideally, the workspace would be a home office with a door for privacy and to minimize outside noises.

If your home does not offer an enclosed office, then your next best option is a work space that is in an area of the home where there is as little household activity as possible. For example, if your family spends most of their time at home in the living room, then you could create a workspace in your master bedroom.

Create a Schedule

Next, you will need to create a schedule that clearly delineates work time from family/cooking/cleaning/laundry time. Since nearly all of your most important daily responsibilities will now be under one roof, it’s important that you make sure none of them fall to the wayside. There will be time to work, and there will be time to shut off your computer and focus on your family and your home.

Connect with Your Family

Last but not least, you should have a conversation with your family to get them on board with your new work schedule. As you will be working out of your home, it’s important that your family understand that when you are in your designated office, you are working. As long as everyone is on the same page, your new schedule can be very enjoyable and may improve your overall work life balance.

In the video below, we discuss ways for online teachers to improve their work life balance when working from home!