If you're telecommuting or running a business from home, you know as well as I do that sometimes things can be a wee bit tedious. It's not like you can get up and head to the break room for a cup of coffee and some colleague time. So every now and then you have to add a little humor to your own day, especially when it's been absolutely insane in your home office.
Here are a couple of little things you can do to lighten the mood when the going gets rough (and the dog needs to get, uh, going). If nothing else, they're worth a little chuckle:
- Need to get off the phone with a client who's also home-based and isn't hanging up? Tell her you're headed out the door to do lunch. Loosely translated, it's true - even if you're just headed out the kitchen door with a bottle or some cat kibble to feed someone else!
- Admit it - you can't help but laugh after you see the UPS guy's face when you open the door in your Hello Kitty slippers and flannel pjs with a baby on your hip, a phone on your shoulder, and a leaking ink cartridge in your hand. Bonus giggles if you hold the cartridge with your mouth, and thank him, while you sign for the package!
- Need a mood lifter? Have coffee (and a chocolate milk) with one of your most important clients: your toddler!
- Rough week? Invest in some of your favorite scented lotion or candles. You can slather on or light up without worrying about setting off the allergies of the person in the next cubicle (or any over-sensitive office fire sprinklers).
- When all else fails, remember that there will be moments where you glance over and the dog is sleeping, the baby's napping, and your inbox isn't pinging. (Now take a picture - it's only going to last 30 more seconds.)
Sad to say, we had a problem with looong phone calls when my Grandmother was much older. She was in her late 90's and her mind was no longer sharp. She would call me and talk for 3 hours. No problem if she was local but we were in WA and she was in FL. Alot of it was rambling. I had a pitiful way of getting off the phone. I would walk to the front door with the remote phone, open the door, and ring the doorbell. She would immediately say, "Oh, you've got someone at the door. I'll let you go."
It just may work for someone else but hopefully not for the same reason.
Posted by: Cheryl Hart | October 3, 2007 8:38 PM | Permalink to Comment