Finding a Good Balance When Working from Home
Written by: Julian on April 02, 2020
Traditional office workers transition into work mode by commuting to the office. But home-based travel agents have to learn to separate work mode from home mode and cultivate focus for their travel business. As people in many other roles transition to working from home, now is a great time for travel agents and those new to home-based work to try some of our favorite work from home advice.
Create a Dedicated Workspace
A separate, tidy and enclosed office is ideal, and facilitates the mental shift between work mode and home life. It’s important the workstation be separate from other living areas – the point is to tie the room to only work activities and productivity – the same way that the kitchen and bedroom should be associated with eating and sleep, respectively.
Set Boundaries with Your Housemates
Working from home means changing the way you use a particular space in your home environment, understandably takes some adjustment to get right. Prevent stress and frustration creeping into relationships with your loved ones at home by clearly communicating your home office boundaries and expectations. Consider using a “do not disturb” sign or signal to let others know when you are focusing on work. And be gracious when boundaries are broken, because it will happen at some point.
Stick to Your Routine
Just because you’re working from home, you should still maintain your regular habits, like getting dressed for work. While you can certainly get away with wearing more comfortable clothes at home you’ll feel more put together when you’re not in pajamas.
Matt Stauffer advises, “Be like Mister Rodgers”, changing into your version of a cardigan and tennis shoes builds that mental boundary between work and home modes.
Keep to Your Office Hours
Embrace fixed-schedule productivity, rather than working ridiculous hours to accomplish your goals. Constraining yourself to the hours you work in typical workday forces you to be ruthless choosing where to spend your time and energy.
Take Mental Health Breaks
It is important to prevent feelings of stress and anxiety by creating healthy habits and limiting focus to things within our control, like personal well-being. Depending on your schedule or tasks at hand, you may be able to step away for a moment if you feel yourself getting stuck. You will need to stay on top of your critical responsibilities. Take a break at a time that won’t conflict with obligations.
When I become frustrated, I like to take a moment away from my screen and do a 5-minute household task like folding the laundry or putting away clean dishes. It gives me a chance to take a breath, and often leads to gaining insight into the task I was working on.
Keep Up with Your Relationships
Interpersonal interactions make us feel connected to others and create a sense of community within the company. Working outside of the office means you miss out on parties, meals, conversations, and happy hours.
We are changing the way we think about socializing and staying connected, across distances. Keep up with your colleagues and work contacts by scheduling video calls, chatting online, or reaching out when you need help.
If you are interested in starting your own home-based travel business, we can help. KHM Travel Group supports nearly 5,000 travel agents around the country. To find out more, fill out the form to the right or give our team a call at 1-888-611-1220.