QUESTION: Dear Edward,

I thought that working from home was going to be the perfect experience. You seem to have so much fun with it. My experience is nothing like yours. I have been stressed more here at home than I was while working at the office. I get phone calls now more than ever from friends and family. Sometimes, I may just run an errand or two during the day when I should be working. I don’t know if this is right for me. How do you manage to stay afloat and on task while making home your place of work? — Mary B. Wesson, MS

ANSWER: Great question Mary. I would start with setting up an office space in your home. When you are working in a space that looks like home, you tend to maintain the thought that you are at home. That thinking gives the impression that the time you are actually supposed to be working is your time to do as you want. However, you cannot see it this way. Setting up an office space in a room of your home with a locked door and nothing but work-related items will help.

Also, tell your family and friends that you are on a schedule and will not be able to talk with them during that time. Let them know that you will call them back when you go on break or at the end of your shift. Treat your work-from-home job exactly the way you would if you were working in the office. Making the mental distinction between home and work will truly help you get focused and stay on task. Developing self-discipline is very important in working from home. Unfortunately, there are many people out there who may not be able to handle this type of opportunity. I cannot say if that is the case for you but trying some of these simple strategies can improve your chance of success. With no supervisor watching over you, this requires you to supervise yourself. If that doesn’t work out for you, you may have to go back into the office setting so that you can get your work done. I hope I have helped. Check back in with me in a few weeks and let me know how things are going for you. Hope all goes well.

Take care.