Once again, I tried to cram too many projects into too little time. I skipped meals, slept poorly and paid the price with three days in bed. At my age, you would think I'd know better.
And I do know better. Back in the bad old days when I was an employee, I was able to pace myself. There were others with whom I could share tasks. There were scheduled lunch breaks. There was that guaranteed weekly paycheck. Sometimes it sounds like heaven on earth.
But in actuality, my old job was a long way from Eden, especially after my daughter was born. I spent my days obsessed with time -- mentally calculating the point when the L.A. traffic would make it impossible to get from the office to our daycare provider before closing. And all the while, what I really longed to do was be at home and watch my little girl grow.
The idea of working at home was very appealing, if only for the stress relief.
Two years later, I have a growing home business -- but surprise! I'm still playing Beat the Clock - only now running against Megan's preschool schedule... and I'm just as stressed now as I was then.
"How can that be?" asks my incredulous husband.
For one thing, it's a different kind of stress.
Experts list money problems and uncertainty among the things that cause anxiety in people, and if you really need to net x-amount of dollars from your home business, you can expect to experience both. Losing the comfort of that weekly paycheck is a major reason more people don't choose to be entrepreneurs, and I can assure you they have a point. I begin each month by staring at my revenue spreadsheet, wondering if this will be the one when nothing comes in. Then, when I've made some entries and it starts looking sort of good, I worry that the pace won't keep up -- or that the next month will be a dud.
However, as nerve-wracking as that can be, if you feel trapped in a situation you hate (as I was in my former job), feelings of helplessness can set in... and that's not only stressful, but can plummet you into depression.
The anxiety I experience over money woes is more than offset by how empowered I feel because I'm doing something I enjoy. I write, I publish, I design, I network, I learn new things every day... and I get paid for it! (Well, most of the time. And if the money is slow coming in, there are always things I can do to try to drum up a little bit more.)
The fact that the success or failure of my home business rests entirely on my shoulders adds to my stress-level. But at the same time, it's exhilarating -- and is what drives me and other home-based entrepreneurs to take on too many projects.
My three days in bed were actually a delight. I didn't even turn on my computer and did little else but watch old movies on television. It's a shame it took a little sore throat and fever to force me to slow down -- and now that I'm back on the job, I'm determined not to let it happen again!
Here are some tips to help you (and me!) get off the frustrating cycle of work-binge and rest-purge:
1. Set regular work hours... and stick to them!
2. When work-time is over, turn off the computer. Don't check email!
3. Get some exercise - it not only helps rid your body of the symptoms of stress, but it clears your head and gives you the energy to work more efficiently.
4. Get out of the house! Take a walk, go to the mall, indulge in a designer latte.
5. Pamper yourself - Get a haircut, a massage, a manicure or buy yourself a little something special. Do this at least once a week and enjoy.
6. Make a playdate with your kids.
7. Make a playdate with your partner. (No, not your work partner! Unless that really appeals to you...)
8. Read a book for FUN... or see a movie. Whatever you like, as long as it does not relate to your business.
9. Catch up with old friends and make some new ones.
10. Consider the time you have and use it wisely. Just say no to extracurricular activities that do nothing to advance your family's well-being or that of your business.
Will I be following my own advice? Yes - but not all at the same time. Two or three of these a week can make a lot of difference.
Now, if you'll excuse me -- I'm off to Starbucks for that latte.
One of the most important things about working the home business sector is making sure that you are able to work your home business schedule into your life. This is very important, and it is something that you might have never thought of. When a person chooses to open a home business, they often get very excited at the prospect of setting their own hours and schedules.
This is always what you hear first - that they are going to be glad to open a home business because they can finally decide their own hours. How many times have you heard this - that owing a home business is something someone is looking forward to because they can finally set their own hours - work at three AM if they want to, or work any time during the day or night? It sounds great at first take; however, it isn't all it is cracked up to be.
Part of the reason is that you are never quite certain of the hours that you are going to need to be at your home business. See, the nice thing is that you can work any hours you want - the problem with this is that you can also end up working 24 hours a day without stopping, simply because you can. If your office is at your home, it is all too easy to simply stay at work longer, to go back to work after you've eaten, and to stay up late in the night doing work.
This is something that happens quite often because people start to think that they can get ahead, get caught up, and be able to take advantage of the fact that they simply don't have to work all of the time. Working as often as they can is something that a lot of home business owners start out doing, and soon find that they cannot do forever. The problem is that when you are working all day long, or when you are finding that you simply have to work all of these hours in order to get ahead or to be where you are supposed to be, you are going to be more apt to lose yourself in your business, or to fail miserably trying to keep up with everything,
They key is to limit the amount of time that you spend at your home business. You have to develop a work schedule, and it simply must be the type of schedule that you would have working at a regular job. You might think that this is defeating the purpose, and indeed, you can have your work schedule be something that includes evening hours or middle of the night working. But you must control the amount of time that you are working in order to ensure that your home business is going to be successful.
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Donna Schwartz Mills has sinced written about articles on various topics from . Donna Schwartz Mills writes about the specific needs ofwork at home parents at her website, The ParentPreneur Club"For Parents Who Want Choices, Not Office Politics." Thelatest news, tips, and tools you need to help grow your homebased bus. Donna Schwartz Mills's top article generates over 6600 views. to your Favourites.
Michael Laleye has sinced written about articles on various topics from Women, Advertising Guide and Home Schooling. **Don't Try To Do Everything Yourself** The key to success in a is finding the right people and programs to work with that s. Michael Laleye's top article generates over 301000 views. to your Favourites.