#Guest post by Debz, a fellow blogger and a VA
Ensuring that family life runs smoothly while juggling a full-time job has never been easy, but with lots of us now working from home and having the children at home with us it’s definitely harder than ever. As a virtual assistant, I’ve worked from home for over a year so wanted to share some of the tips that have worked for me.
Stick to a Routine
Although this sounds easy, when you’re warm in bed and you don’t have to be up yet because you have no long commute to worry about it’s so tempting to stay there. For me, I have found that sticking to a similar work day routine has worked for me – although in my experience, getting teenagers up before 10am on days they don’t ‘have’ to be can be a struggle.
Switch Off From Work
I’m lucky enough to have been able to set myself up a work area in my spare room. This has worked well because it means when I have finished work, I am able to close my laptop and leave work behind (mostly!). I understand this is harder if you’re working in the living room or using the kitchen table as a desk, however if you are able to have an area that you can step away from when you’ve finished work, this is recommended.
Have a Nice Lunch
One of the biggest perks for me when it comes to working from home as been being able to have a nice lunch. I used to take sandwiches into the office or grab a Tesco meal deal on my way in – nothing wrong with that but nothing exciting. Most days when I am at home I take time to have a hot lunch – this might be something as simple as beans on toast, but for me, it really makes all the difference.
Go Easy On Yourself
Mostly, remember that you can’t do it all. Social media might be full of posts about how much people are enjoying family time and how they’re getting with things, but no one really writes about the hard times. Go easy on yourself and remember that everyone is struggling in all of the ways you are, even if they don’t want to talk about it!
