How to strike a balance between work & home life

Make it easy to manage the separation between work and home life with advice from nail artist and educator, JENNY HARRIS…

I entered the nail industry shortly after my daughter was born, as I sought work that would be flexible so I could look after her. I completed a diploma in Nail Technology in August 2010 and, soon after, I started my home nail business. I worked so hard to make it a success and became engrossed in work; it was my full-time job and I was managing messages, researching ideas and carrying out administration all around the house.

In those early years, I was a single parent and juggling both roles was tough. I had many sleepless nights worrying about how I was going to make it work. I never set time aside for breaks and in between clients I would reply to messages, research work and carry out administration around the house.

I got married and my husband often said he never knew when he could talk to me! I became conscious of the effect working from home – and spreading my work around the house – could have on my husband and daughter and decided to create some boundaries. My business is still thriving and I work full time, but now I make time to ‘switch off’ for my family – and you can too in just five steps.

Step 1:            Make the decision

It sounds so simple, but reaching the decision to separate work from home life is big, particularly if you work from home. Feel confident in yourself and your work and trust that if you don’t respond to one client the same day it won’t destroy your business.

Step 2:            Set the working area

Create a dedicated working area and stick to it. Be sure to carry out all aspects of your work in your working area; treatments, responding to messages, administration, marketing, and research.

Step 3:            Set the hours

Be strict with yourself and set working hours for everything you need to do on top of looking after your clients. Make sure you allow plenty of time for breaks, as it is important for your health and wellbeing to eat regularly and give clients the best version of yourself.

Step 4:            Make it happen

After making the decision to ‘switch off’ at a certain time each day, set the working space and the hours you now need to make it happen.

Be hard on yourself and think about your actions. You wouldn’t be able to put a wash on if you worked in a salon.

Step 5:            Make it clear

After carrying out all of the above, make it clear to your household or team that when you are in your work area you are working and not to be disturbed.

It’s a very difficult balance and not an easy task to separate work from home life – but the results are worth it!

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