Balancing work and family

Most freelance writers work from home.  Sometimes they have a home office, a room or space set aside specifically for work purposes, while other times they use whatever space they can find at home in which to write.  Regardless of the space used, one challenge in working from home is balancing work and family.

It's true that nearly everyone has to find a balance between work and family, but it can be more difficult for those who write from home.  When you work in the same place that you spend time with family, the line between professional and personal can become blurred.

Lots of people have tips about how to keep your work life separate from your personal life if you work at home.  Here are a few that seem to come up often.

Have set work hours.  If you worked outside the home, you would have set hours that would make you generally unavailable.  By setting specific work hours at home, you help reinforce to your family that you are working, so they'll give you time and space to work.  Conversely, setting work hours will give you a stopping time.  That way, you spend time with your family, too.

Have a set work space.  If you sometimes work in an office, other times in the kitchen, and still other times in the living room, family may be confused as to when you're working and when you're not.  By having a space you always use as your work space, even if it's the kitchen table, your family will know that when you're set up there, you're working.

Have flexibility.  Your dream may be to work, for example, from eight in the morning until one in the afternoon, and then again from three in the afternoon until six in the evening.  In reality, though, you may find that you get most of your work done in thirty-minute bursts throughout the day (and night).  As long as you're willing to adapt to your family's needs and still keep up with your work, you'll find a system that works for you.

Happy scribbling!