How to Be Self-Employed, #1: Finding a Work-Life Balance

I have a habit of saying I will never work another traditional 9-to-5 office job again, and I mean it. I have no good reason for this attitude: I never had a mind-numbing commute, I don’t have any Office Space horror stories about places I worked in the past and I actually remain close friends with many of my former co-workers.

I simply love being self-employed. I love working from home while working remotely with the Creative Distillery team, and I love having control over my own schedule and projects.

Of course, not having a 9-to-5 job doesn’t mean sleeping until noon and taking off for happy hour at 3 (sadly). It often means working late, working weekends and knowing that your laptop is always there for you to do just a little bit more before closing it for the night.

I think what a lot of us work-from-home folks struggle with is knowing when to stop. The lines are so blurred between job time and play time that it can be challenging to find the right work-life balance. I’m still learning how to be self-employed and not going too far toward either extreme—spending way too much time doing laundry and watching Beverly Hills, 90210 marathons instead of working, or spending way too much time slaving away at all hours instead of taking advantage of my flexible schedule. This blog series will focus on what we are learning as we go…

Tips for Keeping a Good Work-Life Balance

1. Work at a desk (in an office if possible).
I am just starting to do this, after years of working all day at the kitchen table, then moving my computer when it was time to eat dinner. Now I have a desk in a room with a door and a window, and I find that I am a lot less distracted throughout the day. Plus, there is a clear divide in the spaces I use for work time and for relaxation time.

2. Get dressed.
In real clothes. Not sweat pants. Not pajamas. I just don’t feel productive or presentable unless I actually get dressed before I start work. Also, it’s embarrassing if your neighbor or landlord or cable service provider drops by your house at 3 p.m. and you’re still in rumpled, oversized sleepwear. I unfortunately know those looks of pity from personal experience.

3. Set general work hours, but be flexible about them.
In general, I get up around 7 or 7:30, exercise, shower, get dressed (see above), eat breakfast and drink coffee while I read the news. Then I start working around 9 or 9:30 and try to finish up by late afternoon or early evening. That said, one of the best things about being self-employed is that I can be flexible as long as I get everything done. Sometimes I will work late one day so I can savor a long, leisurely lunch with friends in the middle of the week, or I will put up with a few insanely busy weeks so I can go on a trip without being chained to my laptop.

4. Build social contact into your day.
I’m an extrovert, and I do miss the buzz and chatter of an office, not to mention the company during coffee and lunch breaks. Google Chat and Skype meetings help keep me from losing all of my social skills, but real, in-person interaction is important to me. I seek out opportunities to be around others during my workday, whether it’s using the wifi in a library or coffee shop for a few hours or organizing a co-working day with friends who also work from home.

Do you have any tips on how to be self-employed while striking a good work-life balance?