This is a guest post by Shawnee Bowlin

The first thing that comes to mind when one thinks of working from home is leisure.  The thought immediately invokes an image of an easier life.  Working away from home is often imagined as more stressful.  While that is not always true, balancing work life with home life can be stressful whether one works at home or away from home.

Although working away from home does involve more travel time, there is also travel time with the work-at-home life.  Research, supplies, appointments, and post office visits are some of the reasons for travel.  There is also the time traveling that involves children who live in the home.  This doesn’t stop just because of a home work life.

Balancing the work-at-home life can be just as hectic, if not well organized, as balancing the work-away-from-home life.  It is imperative that schedules are respected when one works at home.  Work must be taken seriously regardless of the circumstances or surroundings.

First, the family must understand that having a parent at home does not mean a relaxed attitude towards the importance of the work life.  No work equals no money.  Working from home can definitely have many perks as opposed to working away from home, but work is still involved.

Second, distractions are still distractions whether one is in an office building or in the home office.  If weaknesses towards distractions can be recognized, quality work time can be maximized by avoiding those weaknesses.  Strong work ethics must prevail in any work situation.  Know your own strengths and weaknesses.

Third, a flexible schedule can hurt as much as it can help if not properly arranged.  Flexibility is often misunderstood when one decides that working from home is better.  Staying up all night to finish a project can still harm a person who neglects to get the work done because of the interruptions during normal work hours.  This also affects the next day’s work and can cause a domino effect until the proper balance is restored.

Finally, there is the responsibility to keep work areas in one place rather than strewn all over the house.  If organized properly, time spent searching for supplies, paperwork, and so on, or time spent rescuing these items from mischievous pets or toddlers can be avoided.  Besides being unprofessional, it just sounds lame to explain to a customer or business contact that the dog ate your project.

Balancing work life with home life is essential to making the most out of the work-from-home experience.  There must be a rational plan of action and a reality check for success to prevail.