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Telecommuting During the Holidays

© Leslie Truex

The holidays are a time of fun and joy and a whole lot of stress. Shopping, cooking, decorating, and all the other activities that go along with the holidays can take a lot out of you. Being a telecommuter offers flexibility to avoid busy shopping hours, to participate in children's holiday activities, and to have more time to prepare for the festivities. Nevertheless, organization and planning are necessary to insure that you still get your work done while creating a festive holiday season at home.

Organization is important for work-at-home success at any time year. But during the holidays it is crucial if you hope to get your work and festivities done with a minimal amount of stress. Here are some tips to help you get through the holidays:

 Using a calendar or planner, schedule all the work and holiday activities you need to complete such as end of the year reports, holiday cards, baking, and shopping.

 Contact your employer and verify due dates and other work related tasks.

 Contact your child's teacher about any school activities such as holiday shows, book fairs, and parties.

 Check with your spouse regarding his/her work-related holiday activities.

 Add the days and times family and friends will be visiting you or you will be visiting family and friends.

Once you have all the activities scheduled for the holidays, make a daily plan of tasks to get things done:

 Make lists such as names and addressed for holiday cards, what to bake and the ingredients needed, holiday gift ideas, etc.

 Instead of spending threes hours in one sitting signing holiday cards, plan out a little time each day until the time they need to be sent. Do the same for baking and shopping. Try not to overwhelm yourself by trying to complete large projects in one fell swoop.

 If you plan to take advantage of smaller crowds by shopping during the workday, be sure you schedule time to complete your work at another time of day. Also, let your employer know where you are or how you can be reached if you are going to be out of your home office.

Getting everything done in time can be an even greater challenge when your kids are home with you. Here are some ideas to help you get your work and holiday projects done while your kids are home:

 Let your children participate in holiday activities with you. They can decorate cookies, create holiday cards, make decorations for the home, and brainstorm gift ideas.