Getting Bored With Yourself?

Posted by Tisha Tolar on March 13, 2009

I hate to even admit this out loud and deal with a million eye rolls, but sometimes I get bored stupid working at home. I know, I know – I should shut up and be grateful that I work for myself. Believe me I am grateful each and every day but there are times when starting at the computer screen eight hours a day in my own house just gets to me. I get to a point when I just can’t do anything but waste time. When I get bored, I waste time and then suffer through the guilt of not being more efficient, more productive. Trust me, there is not much more dangerous than a bored me!

But I have come to realize that getting bored with self-employment is just a normal part of working for yourself. You are often alone with a lot of responsibilities on your shoulders to get the job done and earn decent money. I am fortunate that my family is out of the house each day with school and work but no matter how motivated and organized I am going into each new day, there are still those days that I accomplish nothing significant with my work time. I believe one key reason is because I do not take full advantage of my time at home in capacities outside of working at the computer. I have been a mother for nearly seven years and have adapted to life different from my carefree pre-child days. I know feel odd if I sleep in past 9 am, whereas I used to stay up until 6 am and have no problems sleeping the afternoon away. In fact, that is exactly the kind of lifestyle that would now be conducive to my writing career. But alas, I am a wife and mom and life isn’t working that way any more.

Each day I think about the different ways I want to change my days and routines but each day, I send the kid off on the bus and sit right down to the computer, grab my coffee, and do what I can until the bus returns. I believe I am suffering from monotony – not exactly great for getting the creative juices flowing. While I know that part of this is due to the cold weather that keeps me inside most of the time, I also realize it is becoming increasingly apparent that I need to find a little fun in my days – housework not included.

Here are some tips I found and liked that the self-employed can utilize to increase the quality of their work day from the comfort of there own home.

Diversify Your Work
If you have a solid client base that provides income on a regular basis, congratulations! It can be very satisfying to maintain long-term business relationships but it can also become somewhat mundane doing the same work each week. This is where your personal interests come in. If you don’t already have a side project, whether or not it is related to your at-home business, then start one. Find something else you have a passion for and indulge in it. Time away from your work that makes you feel good will only be helpful to relieving your boredom and can also be a potential money-maker for you in addition to your other work. Think of all the things you previously wished you had time to do when you worked  a regular job and no time. While you still need to remain dedicated to your paid work, you can also enjoy some time away at doing other things.

Alter Your Schedule
Some people tend to schedule their entire days. Everything from which projects they work first to what time they end their days. While it is good to be organized, it can also be very refreshing to alter that schedule from time to time. Learn that it is okay to nap mid-day or work on your morning projects later in the day every now and then. Incorporating little changes can lead to bigger and better changes in the future, making self-employment more enjoyable and productive.

Plan For Breaks and Take Them
Even with a 9-5 job, you likely got an hour lunch break each day and were happy to take it. Working for yourself should be no different. Walking away from the desk or the computer for a walk, a lunch out, or even just to sit and do not much of anything can help your perspective and your creativity. Leave the work room and dump the guilt at the door. You can only do some much in a day and burning yourself out will not benefit anyone, least of all yourself and your business. It is also important to take a day or more off throughout the week. Rarely do 9-5′ers work 7 days a week. While it can be very difficult to pull yourself away since you essentially live in the office, it is detrimental to your well-being. Plan to take off days throughout the week so you can devote your time and attention to the other things in your life. They don’t always have to be weekend days that you take off each week but a little R & R is deserved and very much needed, no matter how busy you are. If you are working solo and find that you can never have downtime, it might be wise to consider taking on additional help. If your company is growing so steadily, you should be proud of your accomplishments but know when to delegate responsibilities to others.

Search for New Experiences
As a writer, I often get pigeonholed by a few subjects that I write about more than others. Being limited in topic choices can sometimes get old. If you find that you have repetitive projects to do a lot you need to start exploring other things to pursue. Building variety in your workload can not only make work more fun, it will also allow you expand your experience and skill sets, enriching your personal and business pursuits.

Essentially, work will always be work. In order to earn an income, we must work. However, it is essentially up to you to control your days and add a little excitement into the mix. Complaining about boredom and not doing anything to change it will not make the situation get any better. Enjoy what you have accomplished in being successful at home but also keep looking to expand what you do.

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