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Get a Better Work Life Balance and Set up a Home Office - 17 February 2012

So you have gotten that dream job you have been after for so long, the money is good, you are held in high regard by your colleagues, have plenty of responsibilities, love the social life and have scope to move up through the business. There’s just one problem, you seem to be spending more and more time at the office, and are seeing remarkably little of the sofa at home or your friends-outside work.

As you have taken on more responsibility you find yourself getting in earlier and staying behind later to meet crucial targets and impress your boss. This what they call the rat race. It is well known that the UK has the longest working hours. It is probably no surprise that we are the least happy nation in Europe. Long working hours – often self imposed – mean that we have little time to spend on things like friends, hobbies and, crucially, sleep.

Of course you do not want to reduce your efficiency or effectiveness at work. Competition for that promotion or pay rise is fierce, and after all, you love your job and want to do well, so quitting those late nights at the office may not be an option.

What many are turning to however, is home-working. Setting up a small home office with a business broadband connection is one way of getting some more time to yourself, without compromising your results.

Providing you have a job that can be done away from home – and most can with a mobile phone, laptop and internet access – there’s no reason why you can not work just as well from your bedroom or study as you can from the office, minus the lengthy, stressful commute!

Working from home can be incredibly rewarding and brings many benefits. The primary one is that you do not need to be awake at the crack of dawn to catch a train or drive to work. Simply roll out bed, shower, get into some comfortable clothes and set yourself up for the working day. The transition may not be entirely seamless, you may not be able to access all your emails and you will not have use of the business telephone systems, but there’s always the mobile phone should you need to contact the boss quickly.

This is an extremely attractive option for many people, particularly those that work in the city, but working from home is not without its pitfalls. Whether you live on your own or not, there can be many distractions. The temptation to do that bit of washing up, or pop into town for a few bits and pieces before you start work can be overwhelming, and mean delays that have you working late into the night.

Overall, however, home working is something that those with long hours or a long commute would do well to introduce into their working week. It can provide a welcome respite from the rat race and give you more leisure time. Just make sure you don’t schedule your home working day on the same date you have that vital meeting with the MD!