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Scenario:

Your partner/spouse has a “normal” job, travelling to and from work. You, on the other hand work from the home, within those same four walls, day in, day out. What happens by the time the weekend comes along? You are bursting to get out somewhere and your partner is looking forward to a cosy night in watching a DVD with glass of wine and take-away in hand.

Sound familiar?

For a lot of home workers (and home carers), the very same building they fell in love with some time before, becomes their “prison”. They begin to resent the place and eventually all it represents. The catastrophic consequence is the impact it can have on a relationship/marriage. So where is the balance? How can one get around these issues?

Home can feel like a Prison at times

For the traveller, a degree of understanding is required. Anyone who has been very ill with the flu for a week will have a clear understanding of how being “house bound” feels.

For the home worker, the danger is that this becomes the overriding feeling most days. It is important to create situations that physically get us out of the house (with a good internet connection, we could literally conduct all our business from the comfort of the couch or bed!)

For example, a daily scheduled walk that will include meeting other people, possibly defining a proper lunch hour and break from the confines of the home. Or perhaps, retain certain business errands as physical errands to get us into town to go to the bank or buy supplies.

By ensuring we get out daily, we are avoiding the claustrophobic feeling of being “cooped up” in the house, and the resentment that inevitably comes with that feeling. As I write this blog, I am sitting in a hotel bar, utilising the great wifi, food and atmosphere, while getting my work done.

By having a definitive weekend time, plans can be made in advance and compromises agreed. If every week does not suit the travelling partner, then agree on a fortnightly family night out, monthly night away, or monthly trip to the theatre or movies. Whatever works will drive the compromise and all parties will be satisfied.

As a coach, I hear about this a lot, and it sometimes spills over into Time Management issues. It is important for the home worker to have clear boundaries between work and non work related tasks. This is covered in another post “Where did my weekend go?”. How do you as a home worker ensure you do not catch the “stuck at home” bug?

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