Just take a break already | Learning when to walk away and call it a day
So you have your dream job of working from home and life couldn’t be better, right? But lately, you are irritable, you don’t seem to be getting much done, the house looks like a hurricane hit it and you lost your pep.
Do you think maybe, it just might be time to learn to take a break and Walk Away?
Walk Away or be Forced to
I know, I know you thought working from home was supposed to be stress free. After all your not working for a boss that doesn’t appreciate you. You aren’t having to spend money on gas and car repair and you can choose to Walk Away and call it a day whenever you want to.
In truth, working from home is less stress and certainly has more benefits than slaving away for a job that may not be here tomorrow. But let’s be honest here, okay? Working from home carries its own unique set of problems and rules and if you are not careful you will burn out and be forced to Walk Away.
Learn to Walk Away and Call it a Day
With home based businesses its really easy to get caught up in the work and forget about everything else. There are many things you deal with as an entrepreneur that an employee doesn’t have to and that is why it is critical to learn when to Walk Away and call it a day. Some of the things a home business worker might face are:
- There is no one making you punch a time card and leave
- You are the only income earner, you don’t finish the work, you don’t get paid
- There is always going to be that “one more thing” you need to do
- There is no separation between work and home.
- I deal with this one a lot because I rent a room so my “office” and my “home” are in the same room.
- There is a ton of training and webinars for you to Attend and people insisting you need to.
- Everybody wants your attention and assistance for their work.
Any one of the above situations will make it hard to Walk Away and call it a day, combined and it can be darn near impossible…or so it would seem.
The Benefits of Learning to Walk Away
When you Walk Away and call it a day you will get a chance to relax and enjoy the things in life you like. This is one of the main reasons people give for having their own business. So if you are not doing that, then you will find it harder to do the job at hand.
By putting a clear distinction between work time and the time you Walk Away and call it a day, will actually wind up getting more work done because you are on a timed schedule and this will motivate you to keep working. Of course the idea here is not to be so rigid you can’t stop and smell the roses your kid just picked for you. It is however, a good idea to have set times for work.
Having a scheduled time to Walk Away will also give friends and family the security of knowing when you will be available and that will make them happy and in turn make you happy too. Scheduled breaks will also help you to feel more refreshed.
Your Walk Away Action Plan
The following
are steps you should implement to help you Walk Away and call it a day.
- Have set hours of operation with set break times.
- Be flexible but not so flexible that the schedule is lost.
- Plan on working for 2 to 3 hours then break for an hour
- We all benefit from a change of scenery “so to speak”
- Eat your meals somewhere other than the Office Desk.
- If you feel yourself getting tense or frustrated, take a short break
- Sometimes all it takes to help you refocus and find a solution to your troubles is to get up and Walk Away.
- Remember God only worked 6 days, chances are your old boss had you only working 6 days so don’t be afraid to say I am only working 6 days.
- This is clearly an immune booster too…we all need a resting point.
Overworking yourself stresses your body. It can cause heart attacks, ulcers, heartburn and food digestion issues, and a whole slew of other problems. Your body needs you to take time to Walk Away from things and allow it to rest. Not just at bedtime either. Resting, laughing, enjoying something releases things in you that make you feel good and that in turn helps you have a better work day.
So the next time you are tempted to work “just a little more” when you have been at it all day. Stop and evaluate your reason as to why and if its not something with a deadline then get up and Walk Away trust me it will still be there when you return and you will be a much happier person because of it.
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{ 14 comments… read them below or add one }
Really awesome article…You hit the nail right on the head…Everyone in a home based business needs to read this article..Great job Cat!!
Twitter: catherinealexa
June 18, 2012 at 8:34 pm
Hi Elaine,
So great to see you in my comments!
Thanks for stopping by to read and share your thoughts! I really appreciate that!
I’m so happy you enjoyed this post. I think it’s too easy to get sucked into every little project as it crops up and we must remember to know when to walk away, even just for little breaks. It’s one super way to help maintain some balance and a bit of SANITY! lol
Thanks again for coming by! I hope that you have an absolutely fabulous week!
Cat
Cat Alexandra recently posted..New to Marketing with No list and No budget..Help!
I’m horrible at this Cat, horrible.
I love what I do, I really do. But at the same time I wear myself out. One of my problems is going through office chairs. I’ll use one and it will be great for a few months and then all of a sudden it’s not very comfortable anymore. My back starts killing me so that can be a nightmare. I think I’m on chair #6 since I started working at home.
When I do decide to walk away I start feeling guilty because I have so much more I need to finish. There just never seems to be enough hours in the day. And you’re right, everyone wants your time because they know you work from home so they think you can go and play whenever you want. Oh yeah, I only wish!
But you are SO right and I need to get on a better schedule I guess but each day doesn’t consist of doing the same things. I need to limit myself to certain areas and then just stop. Okay, I’ll work on this more.
Thanks for this awesome post and for the reminder. I will get better, I promise.
Now, you enjoy your week okay!
~Adrienne
Adrienne recently posted..How to Build a Rock Star Brand
Twitter: catherinealexa
June 18, 2012 at 8:46 pm
Hey there Adrienne,
Always a smiley day for me to see you beaming in my comments! You just have that “touch” to you!!
I absolutely understand where you are coming from having read your challenges here in the comment above. It’s just too darned easy to get pulled in and feeling obligated to push ourselves more when you have a good work ethic. You’re an example of a highly motivated and very proactive person, so I can see how it could weigh on you after some time.
Office chairs can be a real issue. I had a terrible time with lumbar pain for a long while, myself. My Herman Miller Aeron chair pretty much changed my life. I bought one several years ago and it made a huge difference. Now I have a really cool ergo-friendly chair (not an Aeron) that I mostly use because it matches my office decor so well, but it’s nice to be able to switch it up when needed. I highly recommend an Aeron for anyone who is in an office chair for long periods of time. They have this thing called a posture-fit which you can put on the back of it that makes for a happy spine!
I think it’s a good idea to schedule in some breaks for sure too. I have been making myself get up and walk around if I’m in front of a screen for too long (45 min = 1 break). I’m a fan of mixing it up and playing with the 4-leggers, getting some sun outside even if it’s just to do some errands, or bouncing on a rebounder for a little while to get the blood flowing!
I got inspired recently to keep “office hours.” I have them clear as day on my consult schedule, so that I can make the time I need for myself in the morning, evening, and weekends. It’s made a lot of difference for me over the past several months, thank goodness, because I’ve been on full throttle with my business in high gear. I highly recommend doing that!!
Thank you so much for your great comment! – Actually, you gave me an idea for a training I can do here on my blog to show how I set office hours in my Google Calendar so that life can flow!
Hope you had an amazing day, Adrienne! It’s going to be a fantastic week!
Cat
Cat Alexandra recently posted..Internet Marketing: Content Writing for Your Blog
Hard work sucks Cat. Really. Your advice is well taken.
I learned this lesson quickly. Yep, the hard way. Sickness, stress, blocking money, prospects…I carried a desperate, strained vibe, which repelled good things and attracted low energy stuff. Because I didn’t walk away. I didn’t take breaks.
Now I take 5 minute breaks on every hour. I walk away. I meditate more. Work less. Working like a fiend – even if you love your work – is counterproductive. You lose out on living a rich life.
At the end, you will not sit there saying, “I should have worked more.” Love your work, love the beach, love your family, love vacations. I look forward to our long travel days….just spent 2 days moving from Chiang Mai to Phuket, with a nice stopover in Bangkok. 20 minutes online over 2 days, and I signed up another team member.
When you let go and live a rich, balanced life, you grow, quickly.
Thanks Cat!
Ryan
Ryan Biddulph recently posted..How 1 Guy Created 863 Youtube Videos to Market His Home Based Opportunity
Twitter: catherinealexa
June 18, 2012 at 8:35 pm
Hey Ryan,
Thanks for the awesome feedback on this piece. I couldn’t agree with you more about your position in the matter. True richness and wealth is having the option to do what you want to do when you want to do it!..not being shackled to some kind of job. I mean, who cares if you’re “the boss” if you’re glued to your chair all day. Shoot, that’s just another albatross!
I resonate with your work schedule. I pretty much divvy up my day in a similar fashion so that I can keep myself fresh and happy.
And CONGRATS to you on your move! Ah, Phuket! So lovely. I’m sure you’re just soaking it all up and enjoying every minute – and good for you, Ryan, you deserve the best and I know it’s only going to keep getting better!
Cat
Cat Alexandra recently posted..Reputation silent killers, purpose and integrity in marketing | Perception equals reality
Hey Cat,
It is equally important to take breaks (time them) and work efficiently with our time. For those who are working from home, I think the biggest problem is distractions such as Social media, email etc that distract us from getting the work being done (and there is no one really to supervise us, unlike the real life work situation – we need to monitor ourselves, and that forces us to face our find and our own feelings with laziness and tiredness). I have had situations in which I overworked, didn’t take breaks and in which I took breaks a little far (in those cases, it is much harder to get back with blogging, but once I get back, it becomes more enjoyable than ever).
It is also important to watch our health (often times, we forget to exercise and take short breaks for our body).
Anyways, thank you for sharing the awesome information,
Jeevan Jacob John
P.S: By the way, Cat, I have just entered for a guest blogging contest (I have linked my entry below, would you mind to drop by and give me your feedback? Appreciate it!).
Jeevanjacobjohn recently posted..Do You Care About Your Customers? Customer Centric Approach
Twitter: catherinealexa
June 23, 2012 at 7:55 pm
Hey there Jeevan!
Great to see you here today!
I think you perfectly summed up what so many work-from-home people struggle with daily! – I think this is why it’s so important for us to work out a game plan and learn to monitor ourselves, as you said!
I’m glad you brought up what you did regarding self-care. This is something that oftentimes gets overlooked in the mix of the day to day things that come up, especially when we’re self-employed and everything is on our shoulders! I know that I have been guilty of not caring properly for myself at different points in time. I have become much better about this in 2012 because it was a goal of mine to take better care of Catherine!!
Thank you so much for sharing your guest blog! I”m going to check that out straightaway! I’m sure it’s awesome too. I just love your posts! – Maybe I can get you to do a Guest Blog here soon!
Cat
You’re spying on me, aren’t you? I could tell the minute you said “don’t eat at your desk”. Working at home is definitely a double edged sword. it’s great to have the freedom but sometimes it’s hard to separate work and life. Work IS life! I eat, breathe, sleep and work in the same place. Good thing I like my house!
The other thing I find it’s important to do is get out to talk with actual people. When you’re in an office, you have coworkers and you go to lunch with people and you probably take more breaks than when you’re home! So you have to set aside time to get out of the office and have lunch, meet with clients, or anything that puts you in contact with other people so you don’t feel isolated.
Sounds like you know what you’re talking about! maybe tomorrow I’ll try to have lunch in another room
Carol Lynn recently posted..Social Media Lies, Myths And Delusions: How You Should Really Be Thinking About Social Marketing
Twitter: catherinealexa
June 23, 2012 at 8:33 pm
Hahaha I’m really not spying on your Carol Lynn! I promise!
I’d be lying if I said I never ate at my own desk. Shoot, I made “taking better care of Catherine” one of my top of the list of 2012 plans. I just had to take better care of myself! I think we really deserve even just 30 minutes to ourselves to chew it all up right and enjoy the lunch! It’s too easy to get fixated and stuck in one place when we’re managing so many tasks as self-employed folks.
I love your point about getting out into the non-digital world to mingle with people! This might sound like “duh” to some people, but the truth is that with all these technological conveniences, we sometimes just don’t do it.
Awesome point, Carol Lynn! Thanks for bringing it up! Oh, and I hope you did go have lunch somewhere beside your office!
My recommendation, if it’s not too hot, take it outside! I’ve been doing that a lot lately, just packing it out onto the patio to enjoy the scenery and fresh mountain air!
Cat
When I started I was addicted and that is bad. It too me a long time to understand that taking a break is not only good for my health, but good for my soul. I can be online for hours upon hours and not flinch. Just the other night I was up till 3:00 am working on an email for a potential client and I was exhausted, but I got it done.
On certain times I have time to get stuff done easily in the early wee hours when my family is sleeping, but some nights I take a break from the computer and just have family time. And there are other times, when I break away and don’t even think about it. I know my site will take care of itself and for me to panic and worry about it is stupid. I have content up, I can respond to comments later and I have stuff scheduled to post for me. Slowly I am learning how to work smarter and not harder, but there are days where I think, there has got to be another way and then I do walk away.
Last Saturday I was trying to work on a post and for some reason I just wasn’t feeling it. I put the computer up and didn’t think about it and poof come early Tuesday morning I knew what I wanted to write about and I didn’t look back. It’s like people freaking out because they didn’t get a post out on their schedule day. Life happens and my family comes first. I can’t worry about missing a day when the blog will still be there. People get that you need a break, but it’s up to you to one. Great post Cat!
Sonia recently posted..5 Reasons Why Your Blog Looks Like Casper the Friendly Ghost and How to Change It
Twitter: catherinealexa
June 24, 2012 at 12:37 pm
Hey Sonia,
Wow, sounds like you and I have a similar work ethic! I think that it’s really easy to get so consumed with wanting to do it with excellence that we get to it, look up, and realize a whole day has passed! Time flies when you’re hardcore! lol
I think it sounds like you’ve found a great way to temper your gusto for doing it right with a healthy balance of self, family, fun, etc.
I can admit that it’s taken me awhile to get my balance down too. It doesn’t take much to disrupt it all because I keep my dance card so full! It’s like one of those things we just have to stay on top of. I used to lose my voice a lot and run myself into the ground because I just wouldn’t stop til my body forced me to. It wasn’t healthy at all, so this post is me really calling myself out for my old self-destructive behaviour.
In the end, the more whole we can feel as people, the better our game will also be online! It’s pretty simple when you look at it like that!
Cat
Great post Cat and I agree with Elaine, everyone in a home based business should read it. I know am guilty of sitting at my computer and letting hours go by before I realize it! Both my husband and I work out of home so our office and home are the same. He fortunately for me is more disciplined with his time so pulls me away.
I am still learning how to do this working from home. I do daily yoga, gym or walk but if I hit my first I am in danger of not going.
I agree with Jeevan Jacob John that social media can be such a distraction.
Learn to walk away – such good advice.
Thanks
Sue
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Twitter: catherinealexa
June 24, 2012 at 3:21 pm
Hi Sue,
Thanks so much for the great feedback on this post. I am so happy you were pleased with the information I shared.
It’s nice that your partner is a good balancing factor for you! That’s a tremendous blessing to have there. I think that our balancing factors may manifest up in different ways in our different respective lives.
I’m big on encouraging people to find what will work for them so that they can distinguish a good work/life balance. This part is up to us, just like every other task in our home based businesses, so it’s certainly worth putting some effort into. The more whole and happy we can feel as humans whose needs are being met, the better we will perform!
And on that note, I’m about to pop off to enjoy the rest of this spectacular Sunday! So, cheers to some balance and knowing when to walk away! lol
Cat
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