How can we deal with the practicalities of working at home when we choose this option? If you have a business at home, what issue is the most challenging for you? People dropping in during work hours? Structuring your day? Over-working? Separating home life from work? For me personally having structure in my day, and not allowing myself to become isolated are key factors. In a well designed day I accomplish plenty and have time to play a little too.

If we bring to our home business the same positive attitudes, skills and self motivation we brought to previous employment, that's a good beginning. Self management, time management and energy management are key. Balancing our activities and time lead to maximal results; good self-care and positive reinforcement will give us productive and enjoyable days. But often it's easier to manage our day with others around us in adjoining offices, with a lunchroom down the hall, or with front-desk support.

Sometimes when we are working alone at home, negative thoughts can take over...you know, that little voice in the head that says ‘this work isn't good enough', ‘you're not fast enough', people won't want this product/service, etc? It's important to be able to put that aside. I knew a group therapist many years ago who said "if you want to change your energy, move your ass". Changing your energy (and therefore your thoughts) can be as simple as standing up, moving to another location, taking a short walk, exercise breather, or speaking with a supportive friend.

Balancing our energy is important to all of us and perhaps more crucial for at-home workers. Two factors come into play here. It may be stating the obvious to say we need to replenish our energy by feeding ourselves, exercising our bodies and participating in emotionally, mentally and spiritually uplifting activities. But it bears mentioning because we often ignore this and work flat out day after day for long hours. The result can be stress, low energy, irritability and physical health problems. When we have a large quantity of work to do, we often think that if we just keep going, we'll get it done, forgetting that our body-mind will rebel eventually!

The other important factor is that our body needs different types of energy for different tasks. I learned this in my meditation training at the Self Realization Centre. For example, writing, seeing clients, attending meetings and eating lunch require different energy inputs. So brief breaks between activities to move our bodies, or doing some simple breathing exercises will prepare us for our next task. This has worked extremely well for me over the past five years.

Try some of the following simple ideas to increase your enjoyment and productivity:
· Design your day before it starts; don't just dive into it
· Give yourself a firm start and finish time each day
· Don't multi-task; you'll be much less efficient
· Schedule a variety of alternating activities
· Take a 15 minute break every 90 minutes to replenish yourself (drink water, eat a healthy
snack, take a short walk, do deep breathing)
· Deal with negative self-talk using the previous suggestions, or
· Imagine putting the messages in a container with a tight lid; it works!
· Have a support team close at hand with your best interests at heart
· Don't take on too much; say ‘NO'
· Celebrate your wins with positive feedback and tangible rewards
The most important thing is to find what works best for you so you can develop a rhythm in your day. Your optimum schedule might be playing during part of the day and working at night, like my friend who often sails on warm summer afternoons and works at home late into the evening. Some people put boundaries around their work life by pretending they're going out to work when they go to their office or shop. Or think of the best supervisor you've ever had and treat yourself with the respect s/he did. There's no harm in any of this, and chances are they will improve your focus, efficiency and satisfaction.

There are many advantages to working out of your home including saving money on rental, start up costs, leases and travel, no travel time and arranging work around your family commitments. But it is not for the faint of heart. If we learn to understand ourselves, our way of working, our strengths and areas where growth is needed, we'll be business dynamos!


Copyright 2006 by Ellen Besso

Through her 'Odyssey of Change' coaching program, Ellen Besso offers midlife women the opportunity to navigate the midlife maze and find joy & fullness in their lives. Personal action plans include strengthening the body-mind connection; releasing beliefs that limit growth; & specific actions to move you forward into your ideal life. To find out more about Ellen's work and read other articles written by her contact:
www.ellenbesso.com or ellenbesso.com/midlifemaze
info@ellenbesso.com 800 961 1364 604 886 1916