I have found that the most difficult part of working from home is dividing personal time with work at home time. When I first started working from home I have to admit I was worried that I wouldn't stay on task, but as time went on I realized I actually had a problem putting work away. There was always one more email to send or phone call to make. During dinner I would discuss work issues, instead of having conversations with my kids and discussing what they had done that day. While driving, showering, even sleeping I only thought about work. This had to stop! The whole reason I had decided to work from home was to gain more time with my family. I took some time to write down where I had gone wrong.

First, I didn't have a set schedule. So, I took the time to make a written one. I used a red pen for work time/issues, a blue pen for family time/obligations/appointments and a black sharpie for me time. Don't think that half the day was written in black sharpie, no, I took 15-30 minutes per day as me time. I found this to be very important, allowing everything to calm down - no kid issues, no work issues. It's nice to think that for that small amount of time each day I don't have a care in the world. This really helps me to relax and stay calm throughout the day. Back to the schedule. I made a silent promise to myself that when it was red time, all I did was eat, sleep and breathe work. When it was blue time, I switched like some kind of Dr. Jeckle and only concentrated on family type stuff. It was very difficult at first, finding that not only would I have to follow a schedule, but had to change some pretty big habits too.
 
I could no longer sit in the living room, working on my laptop, while the younger kids ran around me screaming like crazy people. I decided to take the spare bedroom as my office. In the morning I walk down the hall into my work at home office, shut and lock, yes, lock the door. My spouse takes care of the kids exclusively while I work. But, what about the TV, my only connection to the outside world, which I had been leaving on all through the day? I had to leave my friend and replaced it with a radio. I couldn't go cold turkey, but eventually was able to turn that off too. The hardest part was telling people no. No, I couldn't work on this project tonight or no, I can't play Barbies right now. The kids would bang on the door for what seemed like an eternity before they realized I wasn't coming out of my protective work at home shell. Also, I had to learn how to take breaks all over again. I would leave my office, go to the kitchen, set the stove timer for fifteen minutes and when time was up it was back to the office. Taking my breaks away from my work area, further helped in making the separation of work and home life. 
 
So now I have a set work schedule, family time, me time, a locked office with no amenities and a break room full of my favorite foods. I have also scheduled one day off per week, which allows both me and the computer to cool down. Though I still think about work sometimes, working at home no longer consumes my life. I'm happier, my family is happier and our lives are better for it.

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