ening.

For those of us that work at home and have families, it's important to lay down a few rules prior to starting off. The most important for me was to make sure no one interrupted me between the hours of 08:00 and 18:00 unless prearranged. We got off to a bad start but eventually they all got the message and I was allowed to get on with my workload in peace.

Work at home takes a while to adjust to depending on both the individua

I wonder how many folks think about how great it would be to work at home. Some of you Mums and Dads probably say you already do, with all the domestic chores that need doing daily in order to run an efficient household. But what I'm writing about here is earning a crust from the comfort of your residence. Just think for a moment, no one on your back all day long, no need to dress up, stop for a break whenever you want to, and so on and so forth. Sound ideal doesn't it?

Well, in a perfect world this would be just great, but there are many things to consider when planning to jump from office to armchair. Firstly, many folks need to get out of the house. It's quiet healthy to interact with others and have a strict working routine to follow. After a hard day in the work place, it's often nice to arrive home in the evening. If you work at home, there's no home to come home to. This might sound a little daft, but if you've had a stinker of a day, it's harder to close the door on it when you're still there.

I've been working at home for a little under 3 years now, and it has certainly had its ups and downs. One of the biggest problems I had in the beginning was not knowing when to stop, and this put an enormous strain on the relationship with my partner. She branded me a workaholic and eventually left me. In hind sight, it's important to create a balance and adopt a healthy routine.

Initially, the living room was my work area and this was a bad idea. I've since turned the spare bedroom into my office, and it feels so much better to be able to shut the door on the working day. When I had the desk in the living room, the computer, and its peripherals were constantly in the corner of my eye tempting me back, thus making it hard to relax of an evening.

For those of us that work at home and have families, it's important to lay down a few rules prior to starting off. The most important for me was to make sure no one interrupted me between the hours of 08:00 and 18:00 unless prearranged. We got off to a bad start but eventually they all got the message and I was allowed to get on with my workload in peace.

Work at home takes a while to adjust to depending on both the individual

th. Sound ideal doesn't it?

Well, in a perfect world this would be just great, but there are many things to consider when planning to jump from office to armchair. Firstly, many folks need to get out of the house. It's quiet healthy to interact with others and have a strict working routine to follow. After a hard day in the work place, it's often nice to arrive home in the evening. If you work at home, there's no home to come home to. This might sound a little daft, but if you've had a stinker of a day, it's harder to close the door on it when you're still there.

I've been working at home for a little under 3 years now, and it has certainly had its ups and downs. One of the biggest problems I had in the beginning was not knowing when to stop, and this put an enormous strain on the relationship with my partner. She branded me a workaholic and eventually left me. In hind sight, it's important to create a balance and adopt a healthy routine.

Initially, the living room was my work area and this was a bad idea. I've since turned the spare bedroom into my office, and it feels so much better to be able to shut the door on the working day. When I had the desk in the living room, the computer, and its peripherals were constantly in the corner of my eye tempting me back, thus making it hard to relax of an evening.

For those of us that work at home and have families, it's important to lay down a few rules prior to starting off. The most important for me was to make sure no one interrupted me between the hours of 08:00 and 18:00 unless prearranged. We got off to a bad start but eventually they all got the message and I was allowed to get on with my workload in peace.

Work at home takes a while to adjust to depending on both the individua

This might sound a little daft, but if you've had a stinker of a day, it's harder to close the door on it when you're still there.

I've been working at home for a little under 3 years now, and it has certainly had its ups and downs. One of the biggest problems I had in the beginning was not knowing when to stop, and this put an enormous strain on the relationship with my partner. She branded me a workaholic and eventually left me. In hind sight, it's important to create a balance and adopt a healthy routine.

Initially, the living room was my work area and this was a bad idea. I've since turned the spare bedroom into my office, and it feels so much better to be able to shut the door on the working day. When I had the desk in the living room, the computer, and its peripherals were constantly in the corner of my eye tempting me back, thus making it hard to relax of an evening.

For those of us that work at home and have families, it's important to lay down a few rules prior to starting off. The most important for me was to make sure no one interrupted me between the hours of 08:00 and 18:00 unless prearranged. We got off to a bad start but eventually they all got the message and I was allowed to get on with my workload in peace.

Work at home takes a while to adjust to depending on both the individua

ind sight, it's important to create a balance and adopt a healthy routine.

Initially, the living room was my work area and this was a bad idea. I've since turned the spare bedroom into my office, and it feels so much better to be able to shut the door on the working day. When I had the desk in the living room, the computer, and its peripherals were constantly in the corner of my eye tempting me back, thus making it hard to relax of an evening.

For those of us that work at home and have families, it's important to lay down a few rules prior to starting off. The most important for me was to make sure no one interrupted me between the hours of 08:00 and 18:00 unless prearranged. We got off to a bad start but eventually they all got the message and I was allowed to get on with my workload in peace.

Work at home takes a while to adjust to depending on both the individua

ening.

For those of us that work at home and have families, it's important to lay down a few rules prior to starting off. The most important for me was to make sure no one interrupted me between the hours of 08:00 and 18:00 unless prearranged. We got off to a bad start but eventually they all got the message and I was allowed to get on with my workload in peace.

Work at home takes a while to adjust to depending on both the individual and their circumstances. It's not for everyone, but for those of us that have mastered it, we wouldn't swap our positions for all the tea in china. I get twice as much done now in half the time compared to when I first started off. I'm more flexible with my schedule now and take time out when I want to, but having said that, I do have a pretty strict routine.

I think routine is very important when you work at home. I get up at the same time every day, shower, shave and get dressed. Yes that's right, get dressed. Contrary to popular belief, we work-at-homers do not toil in our pajamas. I have set breaks (give or take), and have plan of action for the day ahead.

Work at home is not just for the solopreneurs of society though as more and more companies are giving staff the opportunity to work from home on flexible schedules too. This is a trend that is growing fast, but only time will tell if it makes good business sense or simply produces communities of strangers who never get out to meet and mingle with their fellows.

Work at home has certainly made me a happy camper, but it was a nightmare for my partner. I urge anyone thinking about taking up a 'work at home' opportunity to sit down and think very carefully before jumping in with both feet first. You'll either love it or loath it with no in between, but you won't know until you try and get past that adjustment period. Good luck!