Work From Home and Relationship Woes: Making it Work

A Work from home job can be difficult under the best of circumstances, but when a relationship at home isn’t working, it can be even harder to manage running your own business.  Pent up frustrations and all out brawls can hinder creativity and hamper your energy for work.  How can you navigate the challenges of a home business while surviving a troubled relationship?  Here are a few tips for making it work.

 

First, recognize that all wounds take time to heal – even emotional ones.  When you or your partner, and probably both, are hurting, you each need to recognize and accept that no matter how badly you both want it to work out, healing takes time.  With this acceptance, you can issue each other grace for bad days and handle them with the knowledge that each bad day gets a little better.

 

Second, set up safe zones in your house for work.  Make one room argument free, and stick to your guns that personal discussion will not happen in the work room.  In this place, you and your partner can be co-workers only.  This can help you to set aside personal frustrations for the good of the business.

 

Third, allow time regularly to check-in and handle the personal issues.  Diving into a home business and forgetting al relationship woes can be an attractive alternative to the gritty work of dealing with your problems.  Scheduling a block of time on a daily or weekly basis can ensure you continue personal communication in addition to the work you do together for the good of your company.

 

Lastly, develop respect for each other as co-workers.  Even when you can’t stand being married to your spouse, take time to acknowledge what he or she brings to the company.  This practice carries several benefits.  You will develop a healthy working relationship, which will make completing business tasks easier.  Additionally, the practice of respect can build in your relationship and spill over into areas other than business related.

 

All relationships go through rough patches, and they can be hard to manage in addition to the stress of a home business.  However, with dedication and cooperation, you can manage your relationship woes and successfully work from home.