Since some time after 2020, lots of people suddenly started to work from home. There was a huge transition between being in an office to suddenly seeing all the job-related things within your living space.
While some people have success stories about work from home, others still have difficulties finding the ‘OFF’ switch to create the barrier between their jobs and relaxation. I also struggled to find this balance, and here are some tips that helped me achieve it.
1. CHOOSING A WORKSPACE
Having a little corner containing all of your work stuff and being in a place with the sole purpose of doing your job can make the biggest impact on your mindset.
The same way that walking out the office door gives you a sense of freedom, leaving your workspace also helps you celebrate small victories like getting through an entire shift and still being (somewhat) alive.
2. AUTOMATIC QUIET HOURS / NOTIFICATION SCHEDULES
It’s important to set boundaries in your digital space as much as it is in your physical space. Do you really want to be getting email notifications while watching Netflix on a relaxing weekend?
Probably not.
Some apps like Daywise and Microsoft Teams enable you to control which days and time periods you’d like to receive those alerts. It’s a useful feature if you’re not trying to see work notifications 24/7, and it makes you feel like you actually own your time.
3. HAVING A ROUTINE BEFORE AND AFTER WORKING
Like an athlete getting ready before a match, you must condition yourself to your office mode before doing any sort of task and establish signs of when it ends.
We subconsciously used to do this by commuting to work and going out with friends, but staying at home decreases the chances of doing such activities.
Developing a ‘before’ and ‘after’ routine such as making coffee and getting dressed helps your brain create a boundary between the time you’ll think about work and the time that you won’t.
4. GETTING IN TOUCH WITH OTHER PEOPLE
It’s so easy to get lost in your job and completely forget to talk to other people, especially during those really busy times.
While there might be some instances when you can’t reconnect, it doesn’t automatically mean that you should stop trying altogether. Being able to express yourself to others can make every single day seem more real because it lessens the dull feeling of being stuck with your running thoughts all the time.
Social relationships are important, and I do highly recommended that you don’t let them go despite spending most of your time at home.
5. RESPECTING YOURSELF AND VALUING YOUR TIME
The last thing that will help you achieve work-life balance at home is a reminder that you should ALWAYS respect yourself, and that also includes respecting your time.
Getting into that mindset encourages you to value the time that you DO have, both during work and outside of work.
All in all, it recharges your motivation and prevents burnout because it avoids the endless cycle vibe of working from home every single day.
Balancing work and personal life is a common struggle that people constantly experience, and it might not exactly be solved overnight. However, being aware of that imbalance and making an effort to change it is already a commendable step that will surely lead to better ways and better days ahead.
