Healthy Life
Speaking of family…
The other day I was thinking about how I try to balance work and family as I wrote a post on this blog and it got me thinking about how I keep in touch with the world while working from home, by myself.
Most notably, I had realized there had been a few high notes in my business this week and one of the people I always share news with was unavailable. My husband, Marco, is always here and listens well, but I share a lot with my mother as well and she was golfing in PEI, with her sister from Toronto and another friend . Marco, the consummate manager, always takes a business-view of my happenings and questions; but Mom has a different take on things. Sometimes their opinions are the same, sometimes they offer very different perspectives – both of which I respect.
Mainly I realized that I missed sharing the news with her this week. Many of my friends work, so sharing news with them in the daytime is out of the questions (see blog notes from Wednesday). My mother is retired and when not out golfing, swimming, playing bridge or walking (she does keep busy) she is usually there to chat when I take a break to talk (see Tip # 3 from Wednesday’s post).
Work and Family balancing
A post on one of the forums I follow, was reminding people that October (in the US) is National Work and Family Month. More than 5 years ago, the U.S. Senate concurred with the National Work-Life Initiative that “supporting a balance between work and personal life is in the best interest of national worker productivity” and that “reducing the conflict between work and family life should be a national priority” and declared October to be National Work & Family Month. It’s meant to bring awareness to everyone that having a good work- family balance benefits all parties.
Working from a home office as I do, some might think it is easy to balance out work and family. It has its benefits; I can take a 15 minute break and vacuum, walk the dog or put supper in the oven – all things that help my family along. But there are also many challenges that come from having your office in your home. Overcoming these challenges usually comes down to planning and communicating. You need to make sure you can do your work, but have your family and friend time as well – in many cases that is why you have your office at your home.
What challenges could I have working at home?
Take a Break!
Don’t you find time passes so quickly as you click away on your computer? I sometimes found myself looking up and hours had passed, hours – especially if the kids were not at home, when they are home that never happens.
I need to make sure I take a break every hour at least. I got a kitchen timer from the dollar store and that was working well – kind of noisy – tick, tock – but it did the job. Problem is, I have one child who is a “gotta pick it up and touch it, whatever it is” type of kid. When he is allowed in my office to use the computer, anything within his reach is fair game. He touches it, feels it, rolls it in his fingers and inevitably he takes it with him wherever that may be.
After too many searches for the timer I decided there must be a computerized way to tell me to take a break – I am a Virtual Assistant and using the computer is what I do - there must be a product out there that can do the same job for me as my timer – but one where it can’t be carried away by my son.
Learn the basics of Twitter – understand what a DM, RT and Hashtag are and how to use them
Follow a typical schedule that will help you remain efficient and effective with your time spent on Twitter
Click here to buy your copy nowfor only $12.00.
Download your FREE eBook on Productivity for Entrepreneurs
Join the Social 4 Biz Club
Get your social media questions answered during a live call every month PLUS learn new tricks and tips to using Social Media for your business. Forum support as well for help throughout the month.
