{"id":81826,"date":"2016-10-05T04:43:44","date_gmt":"2016-10-05T08:43:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/?p=81826"},"modified":"2016-10-05T04:43:44","modified_gmt":"2016-10-05T08:43:44","slug":"stay-sane-spouse-work-home","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/2016\/10\/05\/stay-sane-spouse-work-home\/","title":{"rendered":"How to stay sane when you and your spouse work at home"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"(Photo:<\/a>
(Photo: Flickr\/littlebirth<\/a>)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Baby boomers moving into semi-retirement or new careers often find themselves working at least some of the time from home \u2013 and maybe sharing the space with their spouse or significant other.<\/p>\n

That might entail more togetherness than a couple originally bargained for.<\/p>\n

Some delicate manoeuvring and careful planning, however, can maintain peace, productivity and personal space all at once.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s tough, and it definitely takes some figuring to make it work, but it can also be wonderful,\u201d says Joy Parisi, co-founder and owner of Paragraph, a working space for writers in New York City. It\u2019s one of many shared office spaces across the country.<\/p>\n

Some tips for couples who find themselves both working from home:<\/p>\n

Set physical boundaries<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cThe most important thing is to be very clear about each of your office spaces and hours, especially if you\u2019re both going to be at home working at the same time,\u201d says Kerry Hannon, a motivational speaker, AARP jobs expert and author of \u201cFinding the Job You Want After 50 for Dummies.\u201d She works from home, as does her spouse.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe each have our own offices at separate ends of the house and that definitely helps,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

Lori Leibovich, editor of RealSimple.com, says that if space is an issue, \u201cdesignate separate office hours or take turns leaving the house.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIdeally, though, there should be a wall between your workspaces,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

Other boundaries<\/strong><\/p>\n

Good fences \u2013 and separate phone lines \u2013 make good neighbours.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s OK to grab a coffee or lunch together, but approach it as though you were in an office, and draw those same lines of respect you would have for any other co-worker,\u201d Hannon says. \u201cAnd be sure you set up your technology so your home and office are separate entities and you don\u2019t have to fight over a phone line. If you each have your own cellphone and can reserve your land line for home, that helps a lot.\u201d<\/p>\n

Call a meeting…<\/strong><\/p>\n

…or take a walk. It helps to discuss the game plan for the day or week. If you\u2019re in the same field, you can designate brainstorming time to plan for upcoming projects, Leibovich suggests. And if you\u2019re in different fields, but would like to have some input from your partner on something, figure out what time of day will work best and won\u2019t interrupt anything. Many work-at-home couples say that taking a walk at some point in the day to clear the air is very helpful, Hannon said.<\/p>\n

Create work-free zones<\/strong><\/p>\n

It\u2019s essential to have zones where you can focus on intimacy and leave stress-causing topics behind, says Pepper Schwartz, a relationships expert with AARP\u2019s Life Reimagined, an online resource to help people navigate life transitions.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou need to be sure you make time and space for yourselves as a couple, and also time as individuals to do yoga or meet friends or do something for yourself, so you don\u2019t end up working a 7-day week and feeling like you\u2019ve lost yourself,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

Consider alternatives to home<\/strong><\/p>\n

Many people who work from home are turning to various kinds of shared workspaces.<\/p>\n

\u201cSometimes there are just too many distractions at home. It\u2019s like going to the gym to exercise. You could exercise at home, but if you get yourself to the gym, you know you\u2019re going to exercise,\u201d says Parisi.<\/p>\n

Like many shared office spaces, her Paragraph is divided into quiet workspaces and a shared social area. Because it is specialized by field, Paragraph also sponsors readings and visits by agents.<\/p>\n

While some shared workspaces around the country cater specifically to start-ups or other types of businesses, others are more general and welcome people from various fields.<\/p>\n

Compromise<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s important to make a policy about how you share the practical tasks or take care of the kids or walk the dogs,\u201d says Schwartz.<\/p>\n

Hannon said she had to compromise at times when her husband set up his workspace at the dining-room table instead of in his home office. Parisi said she or her husband sometimes ended up heading off to Paragraph to work when doing so at home seemed too challenging.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnecdotally, the whole economy is moving in this direction. We\u2019re so plugged in now that even if you work from an office, you\u2019ll end up doing some of your work from home,\u201d Leibovich says. \u201cIt may take some creativity, and some compromises, to get it right.\u201d<\/p>\n

Online:<\/p>\n

www.kerryhannon.com<\/a><\/p>\n

www.paragraphny.com<\/a><\/p>\n

www.liquidspace.com<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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