When You and Your Significant Other Both Work From Home: Strategies for Not Driving Each Other Crazy

The prospect of working from home seems like a dream scenario for a lot of people.

---

The days of rushing out the door and slogging through traffic just to make it to work on time. No longer do you have to worry about your boss peering over your shoulder, making sure you're being the good little productive human resource that you should be.

You can work in your underwear and make a bloody mary to go with your coffee, and no one will write you up. You're free!

Well, kind of.

There are new challenges that come with working from home, especially if you and your partner are both doing it

---

First, you have to find a way to create a dedicated workspace, otherwise your attention and ability to do your work will likely be hindered. If you have roommates, children, or a needy pet, working in the living room can be difficult and sometimes impossible depending on the circumstances.

Creating an intentional space to get your work done will help immensely with productivity. When I sit down at my desk, my mind enters a space that differs greatly from if I plop down on my couch with a laptop. I have reminders for what I need to accomplish for the week, and I've made a strong association with this space and getting work done.

Unless you are working on projects together, you and your partner will likely need to have separate spaces from which to work. As a freelance writer, I need a spot free from distraction to maintain a flow state to get my work done fast and efficiently. My partner works in her basement studio creating prosthetics for her work. This arrangement mostly works for us, as it separates different portions of the house into our personal workspace.

However, it hasn't been a completely smooth ride

---

Many people would assume that we are living a dream life as we are both currently working for ourselves and doing so from the comfort of our residence. While it's certainly been an incredible experience and is one I try to cherish on a daily basis, it's not all roses and a cakewalk.

The fact that we both work from home creates a situation where we can interrupt each other at any time. Prior to this current arrangement, we would both go to our place of work and come home and spend time with each other without juggling work responsibilities.

Now that our workspace is the home, we have to deal with being on top of each other all the time. What used to fly under old circumstances no longer works, especially in my situation as a freelance writer. A poorly timed interruption can set me back on my work, as it can take some time to re-enter a creative headspace. I'm getting better at turning on my creative juices at will, but it's still a process.

As a result, I've had to set strict parameters with my partner to ensure my space isn't intruded upon at will. When I shut my office door, that means zero interruptions unless the issue is urgent or an emergency. Setting boundaries and having them respected is a process, but over time it goes a long way.

We've both been working from home for about 3 months, and only in recent weeks have we resolved some of these issues. The process of seeing your home as your work takes time, and it can come with plenty of disagreement and frustration until an agreement is reached that works for both parties.

Scheduling intentional quality time with one another is essential

---

If you're around each other all the time, your appreciation for the other person may start to fade. The experience of constantly being around a person can make you value the time you have with them less. Because it's not longer a scarce resource, you may find yourself taking the time you spend together for granted.

This is perhaps one of the most important things I've learned from this experience. Having a larger quantity of time together does not mean the quality of your time will also increase. In fact, we began to notice that the opposite was true.

This made the point of intentionally spending quality time together an essential component of our arrangement. We needed to do something other than simply eat meals together and unwind with a movie or Netflix. In the past month, we've begun to schedule blocks of time to intentionally spend together.

We've found that getting out of the house and into nature as a great way to reconnect with one another. We both feel cooped up in our house sometimes, which makes the point of getting out together all the more essential.

Scheduling intentional time has worked well for us and is something that I now consider a necessity. This can also apply to you if you aren't working from home, as the value of intentionally spending time is immeasurable.

Balance, as with anything, is critical

---

Finding a happy medium has been tough at times, but it's necessary if you're going to make this arrangement work. Even if you are both in the house, you have to respect each other's boundaries. Remember, this is no longer just your home, it is also your place of business. If you want to remain working from home and not flee to an off-site workspace, you'll need to figure out what works best for you.

In relationships, setting proper expectations and boundaries is one of the most crucial components of a successful partnership. If you are upset that your partner interrupted your work but you didn't inform them ahead of time, it's not their fault and you must communicate this fact more clearly ahead of time.

The dream of both partners working from home in harmony can become a reality, but it requires strong and open communication to pull it off. It is a test of your ability to coexist with each other, but in the long run it will pay immense dividends, both for your work and relationship satisfaction.

---

All uncredited pictures from pixabay.com or my personal account

If you received value from this post, please upvote and resteem. I reward all intelligent comments with my full upvote :)

---

My Latest Posts

• I Hosted a 5k and House Show Entitled 'Bands on the Run' and it was Glorious!
• Hiking with SmartCash Vol. 1: Staunton State Park in Bailey Colorado
• Thoughts on Complacency and Leaving a Job You Hate
• Changing Your Relationship with Money
• Leaving a Job You Hate: Just Do it!

Classic Hits

• My Thoughts on Neuro-Feedback Treatment After Two Sessions
• Applying the George Costanza Philosophy
• Against the Grain: 30 Days on the Paleo Diet
• Mysterious Mountain Meditation Spot: Spiraling Out
• Why I no Longer Use Facebook as my Primary Social Media