Healthy Work at Home Tips:

Running a home-based business can be stressful at times. Here are some suggestions for making it work.

1) Take a 15 minute rest/nap during the day. I set the timer and find that's all I need. After the 15 minutes, I'm reenergized. By setting a timer, I don't worry about taking a few hours and then missing my day. Also, with an alarm clock, I had a tendency to hit the snooze button. With a timer, I know when it goes off, I have to get up. It's truly the most productive thing I can do for my business as normally I've been going for 4 or 5 hours non-stop and it gives me the energy to go for the rest of the day.

2) I do a lot of proofing of work. I need to proof press releases, letters, articles, etc. Instead of sitting in the office, I take it outside and walk while I proof the documents. It's great to get the fresh air and also I'm getting a little exercise and still getting my work done. Proofing is now fun. Many businesses could find that some of their work could be done this way.

3) I prepare lunch and a stack the night before just like I do for the kids. I'm a stress eater. If I don't do this, I'll reach for the first candy bar I see. This way, I have fruit or veggies ready. Sometimes I still might need to go for the candy bar, but often times I'm okay. Plus, I try and make fun different things so I don't have the same thing every day. At night when I have the time I can do that.

4) Stretch in your chair for stress relief and more energy. This is a great help for me. I will also at times sit on an exercise ball instead of my chair. That enables me to stretch my muscles and also just feel like I’m getting away from my desk, even thought I’m right there. The exercise ball makes it more fun, so I’m more productive.

5) Take small vacations to get away. Plan a Friday, Saturday, Sunday vacation. For me, it's best to take smaller short vacations. My clients would have a hard time if I was gone for several weeks. However, by taking smaller more frequent vacations, I feel great. Add a Friday onto the weekend or sometimes a Friday Monday and you feel like you have lots of vacations throughout the year. And you’ll come back feeling so refreshed.

6) Take weekends and evenings off. It’s so easy to get caught up working 24/7. But when you take this time off, you feel so much more energized.

Hope you find these help tips beneficial. Relax, have some fun, and enjoy both your family and your business.

Diana Ennen is the President of Virtual Word Publishing, http://www.virtualwordpublishing.com and Virtual Assistant Startups. http://www.virtualassistantstartups.com. Diana is the author of several books including Virtual Assistant – The Series: Become a Highly Successful, Sought After VA & Accompanying VA The Series Workbook; Corel WordPerfect Office Ready Virtual Assistant Solution Pack (http://www.corel.com)