With all of the technological innovations that have come into common use in recent years, it’s easier than ever to run a business from home. While technology is an essential part of any home based business, the 24/7 instant access that it provides may leave you feeling like you can never completely “unplug” from your business. The question is, what effect does being on-demand, all the time have on your business and personal life, and how can you balance being available for your business with being available for your family, yourself, and your life.
An unfortunate consequence of the instant access that technological advances like smart phones provide is that some people now expect an instant response to their call, text, or email. This can certainly lead to frustration and burn-out rather quickly – what happened to the days when work stayed at work when you went home for the evening? Your life as a whole will be more productive and satisfying if you can find a way to reconcile work and work communications with personal and family time where you do not work and are not available for work-related communications.
As odd as it may sound, one of the best ways to ensure that you spend time taking care of yourself and enjoying satisfying relationships with the people that you love is to schedule time to do just that. By writing “dinner at home with the family”, “date night with husband”, “go for a run”, or “book club” into your plans, you give yourself and your relationships priority and block off time for these very important activities. Take it a step further, and either turn off your cell phone or use technology to your advantage and set separate ring tones for family or others (like the babysitter) that may truly need to reach you during your periods of unavailability. Honor the boundaries that you have set, and let voice mail and email take care of those messages that come in while you are busy engaging in the present moment, living your life to the fullest.