WAHM Blog

5 Mistakes to Avoid When Working from Home

August 21, 2008 – 10:09 am

The proliferation of people working from home has grown exponentially in recent years. The advantages of working from home are vast. Working from home allows you to have a flexible schedule, so you can be around for your family more than you would if you were logging eight hours a day at the office and that’s before you factor in the commuting time. It also helps you save tons of money on that commute, as you’re not using as much fuel when your office is down the hallway from your bedroom.

So, while the advantages seem endless, there are some common mistakes that many people make when they work from home that make the experience less rewarding. Here’s the list we came up with and we hope it helps:

1. Being too comfortable. Even though you’re working from home and the only people you’ll probably see during the day are your kids and the mailman you still need to shower in the morning and put on some casual work clothes. If you stay in your bathrobe all day you’re going to be more apt to start watching “The View” and lying on the couch than actually working.

2. Scattering your hours. It’s important that you stick to a routine every day. If your kids are out of the house and off to school by 8am each morning then you should target starting your work by 8:30. This gives you enough time to get ready for work and will put you in good shape to get a solid amount of work done by the time the kids are done with school.

3. Slacking off. It’s tempting to lounge around more than you ever would in the mornings if you were leaving your house to go to work. It’s imperative you develop a strict discipline and avoid the temptation to slack off. The longer you dilly-dally around, the harder it will be to dive into your work.

4. Falling into a rut. Even though you’re working from home you need to maintain a professional air about your business. Work an eight-hour day and take a proper lunch break. This will help you stick to your routine.

5. Working after hours. You’ll feel like you always have more time to finish what you’re working on because the office is in your home. When five o’clock or whatever time you’ve determined is quitting time then you have to shut down your computer and stop working.

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This article is contributed by Heather Johnson, who regularly writes on online nursing schools. She invites your questions and writing job opportunities at her personal email address: heatherjohnson2323 at gmail dot com.