Eclectic City

Often, because we work from home, our families seem to forget that we are working. You are after all, right in the next room so it seems logical for you to be the one to go to in most situations as somebody needs a question answered, a dispute resolved or any of the thousands of things that can interrupt our work. Each interruption by itself is probably so significant, but add these up throughout the day, week and month and it can really add up.
With each interruption we have to stop what we are doing, shift our focus onto dealing with whatever it is that caused the interruption, taking care of it and then upon returning to our desk, we have to attempt to shift our focus back onto the task at hand, remember exactly what is was that we were doing and at what stage of the project we were at and then get back to it, that is, until the next interruption. With each interruption we lose our momentum which is especially important when doing repetitive tasks. You may have noticed that when stopping these types of tasks for something that it takes a moment to get back into the “swing of things”.
If you are finding yourself continuously interrupted during the day for minor things then it may be time for you to have a discussion with your family and explain to them that even though you are in the next room, you are still at work and your time must be treated as importantly as if you were working for someone else.
A few things that can help your family member adjust to this.
1. Create a work schedule and post it on the refrigerator. This way everyone knows when they are able to approach you with minor questions and needs. Of course they need to know that emergencies do not apply to that and address what you consider to be emergencies and how to respond to those separately. The great thing about this method is that you are your own boss, so depending on your families ages and needs you can easily create a schedule that can fit yours and their needs. For example your work schedule could have a break scheduled for the top of every hour if required, or if your children are older, you could go with a more conventional, breaks at 10, 12 and 3.
2. Explain to them that even though you do not leave the house, you are working. This is a great time to explain work ethics, the importance of self motivation, initiative, responsibility and time management. Let them know that their waiting for your scheduled breaks to approach you about minor things really helps you to accomplish your goals. Make them feel important for being able to contribute in that way.
3. Give your children things to occupy their time between your breaks. This is especially important for younger children. We do not want to turn the televisions or gaming systems into babysitters. Plan their day just as you do your own and post their schedule on the refrigerator next to yours. You can find plenty of activities of children of any age either at your local bookstore, the public library or online. For example, their schedule might have “coloring” from 8-9 and then “reading” from 9-10 followed by a break at 10 which you can enjoy together.
The important thing is that your family know and respect your “work” time. Let them know that by your focusing on being more productive during your scheduled work hours with interruption, you will have more time to spend with them in the long run because you won’t be working so late trying to catch up from all the interruptions throughout the day.