The Importance of Break Time in a Work at Home Business

Working from home can be one of the most rewarding jobs that a person can hold. A home based employment gives you the option of setting your own work hours so whether you are a night owl or an early morning riser you can have the option to work the hours when you feel you are at your most productive. When you work from home you also decide when your work breaks will occur so instead of taking one at a set time as is the norm in a typical office environment you can take a break whenever you feel the need.

A major problem with Home based business comes in a relatively strange manner. We actually forget to take breaks and wind up working far more hours than is healthy for a person to do. There isn’t a time clock or a supervisor to tell us to take a break so often times we don’t. To complicate the issue further when you work from home it is all too easy to work on all seven days of the week rather than just the basic five that is typical in an average job.

If you work at a computer then a lot more of your work day is spent in sedentary activity which can lead to health problems if attention isn't taken to insure regular work breaks. Incorporating physical activity into your time table is especially important for those who sit for 4 or more hours of the work day. There is a need for us to honestly access our physical activity throughout the day. If at all possible plan to work no more than two hours at any given time and plan in advance to alternate rest or exercise breaks in with your working hours.

Computers have clocks on them so it should be relatively easy to plan break periods. If you have difficulty pulling yourself away from your desk set an alarm or egg timer to remind you. It's important to work the stiffness out of limbs and get your circulation moving so get up and run around the room two or three times or do some deep knee bends, sit ups, or wall push ups. Insure that you exercise your legs and lungs. Whatever exercise you choose to do is fine. If you have a Fitbit it is a great tool to get you up and moving. The watch will vibrate at ten minutes to the hour to insure you get your needed steps in for the day.

To make exercise breaks a little more interesting you could set out a schedule and select a different exercise for each small break period. There are exercise card sets available that you can use to make this a little more fun. If you work at a desk for most of your work day then a couple of ten to fifteen minute exercise breaks sprinkled into your work day can really help to improve your overall fitness level. If you have a deck or patio then choose to do a few of your favourite yoga exercises out in the fresh air. The sunlight and outdoor air will definitely refresh you for your next round of work. Become aware of the hours that you work and insure that break periods are included at regular intervals.

Another important factor of working from home is family time. Set aside family time so you don’t let working from home distract you from the true value of home. Insure that each day you set aside ample time to spend with your family and friends. It is all important to set regular meal times whenever possible as well. Just having the option of working from home is not what is classified as spending time with the family. Quality time is when you set aside the work and actually focus your entire attention on the ones who truly love you.

However it is that you arrange your rest periods or whatever it is that you decide to do during them, just be sure to take these breaks. Working from home is an amazing experience but it does come with a whole new set of work rules, and we are now the ones responsible for realizing that work from our home is still work. The more hours that are invested into your job than the more breaks that should be taken. You are entitled to them so don’t forget to take them.

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The Importance of Break Time in a Work at Home Business