Finding a good work/home life balance is paramount when you work for yourself and even more important when you work in a job like a sleep consultant which can be emotionally draining at times.

You probably came to this role because you ate empathetic by nature, so each time you deal with a client you take on a little bit of their problem. This is normal, you care! But also means that it is important to make sure you have a good work life balance or you will burn out.

Once you business is picking up, it can be tempting to take on too many clients each week, its difficult to say no and you can quickly find yourself giving up precious family time to work with more and more clients. While you are helping by not saying no to clients or booking them in advance, you will find that you quickly burn out and either get physically sick or start to fall off your game.

Know what your own limits are, based on your available working hours and your families needs. Have working hours and non working hours, give each client your all and commit to helping them and their family achieve better sleep, but don’t over commit and take on too many clients at once.

Here are some tips from our experienced consultants when it comes to keeping the balance right.

  • Schedule your exercise like you schedule your clients.
  • Set your boundaries with clients when you do your consult. Let them know when they can expect to hear from you.
  • Start slow, take on fewer clients than you think you can manage and work up.
  • Hire a virtual personal assistant as soon as you can to help you manage your bookings.
  • It’s ok to say you are fully booked.
  • Turn your phone off when you are “off duty” or have a separate work phone/number.
  • Start your day before your children wake up, work on your website, or your blogs or projects before you clear your emails – you will be more efficient in the morning.
  • Book a date with your husband every fortnight and don’t double book yourself a job that night!
  • Take on a range of clients, ones who require more follow up, and those who require less, this will help you with a better balance of work.
  • Schedule your facebook posts a week in advance to free up more time.
  • Organise your outings so you can distribute some flyers or marketing material on your way to a play date or a park with the kids. Two for one!

A lot of it is trial an error, but know that you are important and giving up all your family time is not why you decided to work for yourself.