Staying Sane and Healthy At Home

Image by JeanPierreG

All of my adult life I have had fairly unconventional jobs. Apart from two years where I was a teacher of adults, I haven’t been employed in the usual way – and this was working in a gaol, so that was a bit unusual too. (You can read more about me on my About page if you want more of the story.) This has meant that I have been in the position of shaping my own work. I am conscious of what a privelege this has been and continues to be.

However it does have it’s own challenges. Being employed by others removes an awful lot of the burden of choice. When I can do whatever I want the decisions are all up to me – and if I take the day off, and don’t get the work done, it is me that will suffer. It also means that I do lots of different jobs – not just writing posts for my blog but thinking about it as a business and doing the paperwork to deal with tax and other government regulations. Working at home can become very stressful and demanding, so over the years I have developed ways to stay sane and healthy.

The underlying principle to all that I do is: Do I want to do it?

This involves being utterly realistic about myself and the world I operate in. I don’t enjoy doing my tax return. The question is: do I want the tax department to fine me? No I don’t, so I get on with doing my tax. When I find myself procrastinating or putting things off I always come back to this question, or some version of it. When not doing something it is more likely to be: What is it I don’t want to do and why? When I have the answer to this question it is clear what I need to do. And I can set about doing it.

There are other things that I need to do too to stay sane and healthy (I find a way to combine the two if I can). My physical health I look after by going for a long walk each afternoon (sitting at a desk all day isn’t great for my heart and lungs). I usually do this with my partner and we talk as we walk, so it helps my relationship and my emotional life as well as my physical health. Try to find something really enjoyable for you – a sport, dancing, tai chi, whatever it may be. You will be far more likely to do it if it’s enjoyable.

Michael Marmot, in The Status Syndrome, has shown that the two biggest factors for our health are: our sense of control over our lives and good relationships. Both of these need attention if I’m to stay sane and healthy. Keeping the focus on my underlying principle helps me to remember that I have control over what I do. Needing to maintain relationships can be trickier for me – my world will contract to me and my partner if I let it. My other relationships I maiintain mostly via email and phone calls. But I do also turn up to blogger meet ups and other networking events. These are easy to maintain because they are regularly scheduled and the organisers usually send me reminders. Meeting friends in person is harder to organise but much more enjoyable and beneficial too. I’m a fairly organised person so this I do by allocating time to ring friends and make times when we can meet.

The other major principle I use is: simple systems save time.

This means checking whether it is saving time. I have used the MYOB computerised accounting system for a book selling business, even though I have to put in all the data. This is because it integrates inventory and accounting. This saves an enormous amount of time. Other than that I just use a small pocket diary – because more sophisticated PDA’s and such are just extra hassle (hassle both to keep up to date and use). I don’t need to keep track of lots of appointments so I don’t need anything more than a small diary. When I have something I have to remember (a bill to pay in a few weeks for instance) I put it in a prominent place on the pinboard above my computer. It’s simple and it works.

There are any number of resources (both in print and on line) dedicated to making working at home enjoyable for you. My favourite blog is Don Miller’s Making Sales, Making Money. He writes clearly and without hype and the advice he gives is practical and down to earth.  He is currently a Group Writing Project on all aspects of Home Based Business.  So if you do work from home it should be well worth visiting. The number of books about working at home is incredible. My advice is to ask friends and colleagues about which they have found useful.

Working at home is very much my preferred way of working. If you also work at home, I think these two simple principles can make a big contribution to you staying sane and healthy. If you don’t work from home the principles still hold – the application is just a little different.

I would love to hear from you if you also work at home. What are your major challenges in staying sane and healthy. And how do you deal with them? Looking forward to what you have to say.

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