GUEST BLOG POST: Nellie Mitchell
Most of us like the idea of working in our pajamas on the couch, especially if that means we aren’t punching a timeclock like the rest of the world. Working from home sounds amazing and trust me, it has its perks. It’s great to be five feet away from the fridge and pantry, to easily run errands during the day or to sleep in a bit longer some days. But just like owning your own small business, working from home has its challenges!
As a wife and someone who runs a small business (in addition to a full-time job) having the freedom of working from home is a huge blessing! I’ve been working from home for a little over three years now and I want to share a few tips with you that I have found helpful.
Dedicate a time and space for your work.
Whether you’re a small business wife or if you work for a company remotely, this is probably the most important part of working from home. You have to treat it like a real job – because it is! Having a dedicated space where you work can tremendously help with focus and productivity. It doesn’t have to be a perfect office setup, just a place you can come and go to focus on your to-do list.
Having a place that is dedicated to work also allows you to physically leave that space at the end of the work day. When our home is our place of work, boundaries must be set. I have found it helpful to establish non-working hours as well so I can leave work at “work”.
Respect each other’s space and needs.
We all need different things to unwind and recharge. As a wife, it is easy to start going through a list of things the moment your spouse walks through the door, especially if you have worked from home solo all day. No matter what your arrangement is like, take a second to think and talk about what each of you need to unwind and recharge at the end of the day.
Since I work in my home, I tend to want to go out and about to change up my surroundings. My husband on the other hand, works outside of the home and he will tend to want to stay in to relax. Basically, the key is to really communicate your needs here and be willing to find a compromise and balance.
Get out of the house and invest in a hobby.
You can’t forget to take some time for fun too! As a small business wife, you have a lot on your plate! I don’t know about you, but it's challenging to manage the house, the groceries, the meals and the to-do list all while running a business and working full time. You have to remember to take some time for yourself. You can’t pour from an empty cup friend!
For me, I started a hobby of hand lettering. I found it to be a quiet, relaxing way to focus my mind on other things – plus it’s a hobby that can travel when I travel! I started looking on Instagram for hand lettering inspiration and soon I found a sea of talented lettering artists. Before long, my love for sharing positive and encouraging messages through hand lettering grew into a sweet community that continues to grow! You can check that out here (Link to LHL insta @letteringhislove).
The bottom line is this, working from home can bring such freedom and can be a huge blessing to your business and to your family. But as with anything, setting some boundaries and keeping perspective can help you stay healthy, happy and propel you towards success!
I’d love to connect with you and share our journey together as small business wives!
Let’s connect on Instagram (link to personal insta @sincerelynelliebell)