I’ve been blogging for over six years now, and never imagined it would turn into a career opportunity. However as a single parent of five, who are all growing up far too quickly, I still can’t really see it being particularly feasible for me to work outside of the home anytime soon. I don’t have any support, it’s just me and has been for over seven years now. I don’t have any family to help out if I have a sick child, and having moved recently I don’t have any friends on the doorstep either.

I am pretty disciplined when the children are at school, I do an early school run and I am usually working by 8.30am. I find the school holidays harder because I want to be having fun too! I make up for it by working in the evenings or first thing before we go out for the day.

I have to admit to generally loving working from home, I cannot imagine juggling even more than I already do. However, there are times when the thought of shutting the door and going ‘out to work’, meeting other people and sitting in an office/shop etc really appeals. The downside from working from home is that there is a tendency to never switch off.

I think getting the balance right can be tricky but here are my top tips on how to stay sane when working from home:

Hours

• Decide on the number of hours you are going to be doing daily and treat those hours as strictly for work, it is so easy to get sidetracked by the washing, cleaning and even invites to meet friends for coffee. Stick the washing on first thing before you officially start, make use of a slow cooker and prep meals the night before or first thing in the morning. It is hard for other people to understand that you really are working but from home but explain that the hours must be adhered to.

Daily Schedule

• This leads onto having a daily task sheet or schedule to work to. I personally don’t have one, preferring to make the most of the ‘freedom’ working from home gives you, but I could probably be a lot more productive if I have one (I am a little scared of to do lists). I factor in gym classes into my working week so that I am around in the evenings for the children.

Have a dedicated work area

• Have a specific place to work from. If you have a dedicated area for work then hopefully you will be able to remove yourself from that area at the end of the day. I’ve done this and gone back to working from the kitchen table, that works for me but does make it hard to draw a line and finish work. I find I can multi task and finish off work once the children are home and perhaps sitting at the table with me doing their homework.

Network online and make friends

• Make strong online connections to help with the loneliness that can be a downside of working from home. Facebook and Twitter are good and there are also lots of Facebook groups for specific skills. Look online for local groups, I know there are once a month meet ups for women in business where I live and I expect there are ones for men too.

Look for jobs and advice on professional networks

• If you are looking for jobs then try Hiive, a creative network that posts job opportunities, career resources and is a place to have discussions with, or ask questions from other like minded creatives.

Take a break!

• Take a lunch break! Or have that coffee with a friend but bear in mind that if you take too much time out you’ll have to make up for it some other time.

The dreaded paperwork

• Keep on top of the paperwork. Little and often is best. Come tax return time you’ll be grateful you did. All it takes is a notebook with a note of all your work and income and outgoings each month and remember to keep all receipts. I keep mine in a pretty little box.

Remember to switch off and live your life

• Stick to your hours and switch off during the evening otherwise you could find yourself a little burnt out and demotivated. Join the gym, take the dog out for a walk or get stuck into a great box set or book. make sure you set a time to end your working day and leave it until tomorrow. Obviously if you are juggling very small children during the day you may have to work into the evening sometimes but limit it to particular days of the week.

Do you have any tips you would add? How do you stay sane when working from home? I would love to know.

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