g essential for reducing stress at both work and home. The window of time might be spent listening to the news or to music while stalled in traffic. It might be conversation with others. It might be concentration on the traffic situation. Traffic jams are like feeding pigeons: they get our minds off what we are leaving before we engage with what is happening at our distination. The separation is what allows people to segregate work from home life.

Those who work at home do not have built-in separations between home and work. The work is inside their home. The stress from home surrounds the work area and the stress from work exudes out into the home. A conscious effort must be made to close down work at quitting time, get out of the office, take some sort of break such as a short walk or yes, feeding pigeons before engaging in home life. Lacking such breaks is an invitation to stress that never stops. The stress will likely reach burnout proportions. You, the boss worker, will

At first blush one might suppose that home based businesses would be stress free. After all, look at the advantages: be your own boss, make your own schedule, work when you feel like working and there are no traffic jams to and from the office!

Let's look closely at these four factors, which I consider to be myths. Be your own boss. Being the boss means now you, not somebody else, have responsibility for all the tasks related to managing a business. These include checking for regulatory compliance, tax reporting, maintaining business accounts, planning and managing inventory, order taking, keeping the books, advertising, marketing, delivery, billing and reading the mail. It's not that any one of these and dozens more tasks are necessarily complicated. Some of them, in fact, might be boring, as in sifting through the junk mail.

What can be stressful is the multiplicity of tasks. Put another way, being your own boss means keeping track of unending and unrelenting details. There needs to be a quick, efficient system for getting all these details out of the way in order do the actual business of making something or selling something. That's where the stress develops: no brooding over bills, no piling up of mail to be opened at some later date, no delay in filing or storing data, no idol moments to debate what to save and what to throw away. The filing system, whether by computer or in file cabinets needs to be well organized so that what goes in and comes out can be done quickly.

And then, of course, there are the unending phone calls. "The boss," as one of my key contacts told me bluntly when we were introduced, "does everything." That's the job description: the boss does everything. No matter whether the task be secretarial or executive in nature, the boss does it. The pressure is to do it right now. Get behind with a home based business and there will be instant stress because getting behind means that tomorrow there will be twice as much to do.

The art to be developed here is MULTI TASKING.

Make your own schedule Working at home is only possible when you are working at home! The problem about being at home is that there are always things to be done. "Things" to be done include preparing and eating meals, keeping the house orderly and clean, answering the door, getting out the trash, taking care of any dependents, feeding the pets, bringing in the paper and the mail, visiting with the neighbors. Unless one is living absolutely alone in a totally managed apartment or condo it is nearly impossible to be home without having "things" to do. Once you have made a work schedule the real stress begins: keeping the schedule instead of doing what needs doing for home maintenance and daily living.

Sticking to the schedule means no TV interruptions, no extended phone conversations, no time outs to run up to the store or take a quick siesta. Working alone is boring, tiring and often non-stimulating. There is no companionship, no joking around and no other workers to pick up the slack or form a team approach. You do it or it does not get done. You work no matter what mood you are in and no matter how you are feeling physically. Any time you break with the schedule the business stops and work piles up.

The art to be developed here is FOCUS AND CONCENTRATION.

Work when you fee like working This myth is the downfall of many a business at home! Working only when you feel like working is what describes a hobby, not a business. For those who only work when they feel like working hobbies are the better choice.

The art to be developed here is DETERMINATION AND MOTIVATION. Work when the work needs to be done and learn to enjoy the work. Any other approach will be a stress producer and you will not last.

No traffic jams Despite the complaining, traffic jams are not all bad. They give drivers a good separation time between work and home, something essential for reducing stress at both work and home. The window of time might be spent listening to the news or to music while stalled in traffic. It might be conversation with others. It might be concentration on the traffic situation. Traffic jams are like feeding pigeons: they get our minds off what we are leaving before we engage with what is happening at our distination. The separation is what allows people to segregate work from home life.

Those who work at home do not have built-in separations between home and work. The work is inside their home. The stress from home surrounds the work area and the stress from work exudes out into the home. A conscious effort must be made to close down work at quitting time, get out of the office, take some sort of break such as a short walk or yes, feeding pigeons before engaging in home life. Lacking such breaks is an invitation to stress that never stops. The stress will likely reach burnout proportions. You, the boss worker, will

details. There needs to be a quick, efficient system for getting all these details out of the way in order do the actual business of making something or selling something. That's where the stress develops: no brooding over bills, no piling up of mail to be opened at some later date, no delay in filing or storing data, no idol moments to debate what to save and what to throw away. The filing system, whether by computer or in file cabinets needs to be well organized so that what goes in and comes out can be done quickly.

And then, of course, there are the unending phone calls. "The boss," as one of my key contacts told me bluntly when we were introduced, "does everything." That's the job description: the boss does everything. No matter whether the task be secretarial or executive in nature, the boss does it. The pressure is to do it right now. Get behind with a home based business and there will be instant stress because getting behind means that tomorrow there will be twice as much to do.

The art to be developed here is MULTI TASKING.

Make your own schedule Working at home is only possible when you are working at home! The problem about being at home is that there are always things to be done. "Things" to be done include preparing and eating meals, keeping the house orderly and clean, answering the door, getting out the trash, taking care of any dependents, feeding the pets, bringing in the paper and the mail, visiting with the neighbors. Unless one is living absolutely alone in a totally managed apartment or condo it is nearly impossible to be home without having "things" to do. Once you have made a work schedule the real stress begins: keeping the schedule instead of doing what needs doing for home maintenance and daily living.

Sticking to the schedule means no TV interruptions, no extended phone conversations, no time outs to run up to the store or take a quick siesta. Working alone is boring, tiring and often non-stimulating. There is no companionship, no joking around and no other workers to pick up the slack or form a team approach. You do it or it does not get done. You work no matter what mood you are in and no matter how you are feeling physically. Any time you break with the schedule the business stops and work piles up.

The art to be developed here is FOCUS AND CONCENTRATION.

Work when you fee like working This myth is the downfall of many a business at home! Working only when you feel like working is what describes a hobby, not a business. For those who only work when they feel like working hobbies are the better choice.

The art to be developed here is DETERMINATION AND MOTIVATION. Work when the work needs to be done and learn to enjoy the work. Any other approach will be a stress producer and you will not last.

No traffic jams Despite the complaining, traffic jams are not all bad. They give drivers a good separation time between work and home, something essential for reducing stress at both work and home. The window of time might be spent listening to the news or to music while stalled in traffic. It might be conversation with others. It might be concentration on the traffic situation. Traffic jams are like feeding pigeons: they get our minds off what we are leaving before we engage with what is happening at our distination. The separation is what allows people to segregate work from home life.

Those who work at home do not have built-in separations between home and work. The work is inside their home. The stress from home surrounds the work area and the stress from work exudes out into the home. A conscious effort must be made to close down work at quitting time, get out of the office, take some sort of break such as a short walk or yes, feeding pigeons before engaging in home life. Lacking such breaks is an invitation to stress that never stops. The stress will likely reach burnout proportions. You, the boss worker, will

much to do.

The art to be developed here is MULTI TASKING.

Make your own schedule Working at home is only possible when you are working at home! The problem about being at home is that there are always things to be done. "Things" to be done include preparing and eating meals, keeping the house orderly and clean, answering the door, getting out the trash, taking care of any dependents, feeding the pets, bringing in the paper and the mail, visiting with the neighbors. Unless one is living absolutely alone in a totally managed apartment or condo it is nearly impossible to be home without having "things" to do. Once you have made a work schedule the real stress begins: keeping the schedule instead of doing what needs doing for home maintenance and daily living.

Sticking to the schedule means no TV interruptions, no extended phone conversations, no time outs to run up to the store or take a quick siesta. Working alone is boring, tiring and often non-stimulating. There is no companionship, no joking around and no other workers to pick up the slack or form a team approach. You do it or it does not get done. You work no matter what mood you are in and no matter how you are feeling physically. Any time you break with the schedule the business stops and work piles up.

The art to be developed here is FOCUS AND CONCENTRATION.

Work when you fee like working This myth is the downfall of many a business at home! Working only when you feel like working is what describes a hobby, not a business. For those who only work when they feel like working hobbies are the better choice.

The art to be developed here is DETERMINATION AND MOTIVATION. Work when the work needs to be done and learn to enjoy the work. Any other approach will be a stress producer and you will not last.

No traffic jams Despite the complaining, traffic jams are not all bad. They give drivers a good separation time between work and home, something essential for reducing stress at both work and home. The window of time might be spent listening to the news or to music while stalled in traffic. It might be conversation with others. It might be concentration on the traffic situation. Traffic jams are like feeding pigeons: they get our minds off what we are leaving before we engage with what is happening at our distination. The separation is what allows people to segregate work from home life.

Those who work at home do not have built-in separations between home and work. The work is inside their home. The stress from home surrounds the work area and the stress from work exudes out into the home. A conscious effort must be made to close down work at quitting time, get out of the office, take some sort of break such as a short walk or yes, feeding pigeons before engaging in home life. Lacking such breaks is an invitation to stress that never stops. The stress will likely reach burnout proportions. You, the boss worker, will

ng. There is no companionship, no joking around and no other workers to pick up the slack or form a team approach. You do it or it does not get done. You work no matter what mood you are in and no matter how you are feeling physically. Any time you break with the schedule the business stops and work piles up.

The art to be developed here is FOCUS AND CONCENTRATION.

Work when you fee like working This myth is the downfall of many a business at home! Working only when you feel like working is what describes a hobby, not a business. For those who only work when they feel like working hobbies are the better choice.

The art to be developed here is DETERMINATION AND MOTIVATION. Work when the work needs to be done and learn to enjoy the work. Any other approach will be a stress producer and you will not last.

No traffic jams Despite the complaining, traffic jams are not all bad. They give drivers a good separation time between work and home, something essential for reducing stress at both work and home. The window of time might be spent listening to the news or to music while stalled in traffic. It might be conversation with others. It might be concentration on the traffic situation. Traffic jams are like feeding pigeons: they get our minds off what we are leaving before we engage with what is happening at our distination. The separation is what allows people to segregate work from home life.

Those who work at home do not have built-in separations between home and work. The work is inside their home. The stress from home surrounds the work area and the stress from work exudes out into the home. A conscious effort must be made to close down work at quitting time, get out of the office, take some sort of break such as a short walk or yes, feeding pigeons before engaging in home life. Lacking such breaks is an invitation to stress that never stops. The stress will likely reach burnout proportions. You, the boss worker, will

g essential for reducing stress at both work and home. The window of time might be spent listening to the news or to music while stalled in traffic. It might be conversation with others. It might be concentration on the traffic situation. Traffic jams are like feeding pigeons: they get our minds off what we are leaving before we engage with what is happening at our distination. The separation is what allows people to segregate work from home life.

Those who work at home do not have built-in separations between home and work. The work is inside their home. The stress from home surrounds the work area and the stress from work exudes out into the home. A conscious effort must be made to close down work at quitting time, get out of the office, take some sort of break such as a short walk or yes, feeding pigeons before engaging in home life. Lacking such breaks is an invitation to stress that never stops. The stress will likely reach burnout proportions. You, the boss worker, will be disgusted by the whole situation to the point of wanting to kill the business or run away from home or both.

These pitfalls are easily avoided with a little business coaching. One of the prime reasons for business coaching (in this case, stress management coaching) is to avoid learning things the hard way. The coach, whether a friend, mentor or professional coach, can point out creative ways to manage the stress that you might have thought wouldn't be there. In fact, many people start a business at home because they assume it will be stress free. A good coach can give a few guiding suggestions and focused questions, whether by phone or in person, that help you find a way to turn things around before the stress gets out of hand.

Advice is always better before getting started. But the next best thing to looking before you leap is looking after you leap!