Staying Sane While Working From Home

Posted March 20, 2007

The 25 million people in the U.S. who work from home fall into two categories: those who dread the idea of ever going into an office again and those who find themselves so lonely they talk to the plants. Part of setting boundaries is keeping physical ones too. When Teri Gault started Thegrocerygame.com seven years ago, she kept her computer and files in her bedroom. She soon learned that was a mistake. “When I went to bed at night, I saw the lights blinking or a fax would come in,” says Gault, whose company provides coupons and regional listings of rock-bottom prices at grocery and drug stores. “Things would go beep in the night. I couldn’t detach and get relaxed when it was time to go to sleep.” Now her home office is in a separate bedroom. It’s practically a holy site in the house. Family members know they’re not allowed to go in there whenever they please, and they’re certainly not allowed to use it as the supply closet when they run out of paper or staples.