5 Tips On Working from Home with Your Spouse

This just in, my husband has confirmed that he may not be going into work until mid-July, or later. SOMEONE HELP ME, LOL. Jokes aside, the first week or two was rough. Both of us trying to get work done with a house full of kids is madness. This new normal is uncharted territory for so many of us. I think JB and I have finally found a system and how to work together without wanting to hurt each other. So today, I wanted to share five tips on working from home with your spouse and how we have learned to pivot.

P.S. we are always pivoting (insert FRIENDS pivot couch scene here ?)

I will admit, we are not perfect, and not every day do we get it right. There are days where nothing goes right.. and, that’s okay. The important thing is we learn from our mistakes, and we are continually pivoting, as I mentioned?. 

How to work from home with your spouse:

1. Communicate. You MUST communicate, share what’s on your plate, the deadlines you need to meet, what’s going on at work. You can not expect your spouse to assume what’s going on in your work world. Every morning and night, check-in with each other, check-in to see how you’re doing mentally as well! Communicate on what’s working and what’s not. Bottom line– C??O??M??M??U??N??I??C??A??T??E!!
2. Take turns during the day. This has helped JB and me the most. I have a bit more flexibility with my hours so, JB tends to work in the mornings, and I will get some work done in the afternoons. When we take turns, the other will take the kids and tackle household chores. Teamwork makes the dream work!
3. Give each other space. Heck, sometimes I can’t even stand myself all the time, let alone my husband (sorry JB). They say too much of a good thing can also be a bad thing. In this case, too much of each other can also be a bad thing. An excellent solution for this is to go on a brisk walk alone.
4. Turn off. This is probably just as important as communication. Try designating a specific space for JUST work. If you can’t do that, then set a time where work turns off. For example- 8 PM work phones are off and won’t be turned back on until 8 AM the next day. The biggest challenge from WFM (working from home) is knowing when to turn it off. Working at an office is excellent because work stays at work. But WFH doesn’t give you that space, so you need to create that space.

Working from home with your spouse will come with many challenges, and the above five tips are not the ONLY things to apply, and I can’t promise that if you apply the five tips, everything will suddenly get better. But, it will help you both get in the right mindset and help create some boundaries. 

I would love to hear if you are still working from home and how things are going for you? What’s been working for you, and what has not? Please share them below!

Images by Katya Isbell at The Vintage Round Top

Thank you so much for stopping by, have a great day!

SEE MORE MARRIAGE ARTICLES HERE:

HOW TO HAVE A SUCCESSFUL MARRIAGE

OUR WEDDING STORY