If your job allows you to work remotely, chances are you are now one of millions of Americans that have all of a sudden found themselves in a telecommuting role! While the initial promise of wearing sweatpants all day and not having to deal with your morning commute are certainly enticing, you may have also found that boundaries quickly become blurred when you work from home.
Below, we outline a few ways that you can ensure that you maintain some semblance of a work-life balance while working from home.
Set a schedule:
Much like you have hours that you are expected to work when you’re in the office, you’ll need to establish times when you are available at work. While some employers still expect their workers to log a traditional 9-5, many are allowing employees who have children at home to modify their hours in order to be most productive. While this is certainly beneficial to those trying to juggle family obligations, it is still important that you set limits in terms of your availability, such as creating a “closing up” time for your work activities and even putting up an “out of office” message that states how long you will be away from your desk and when you are expected to return. Further, you shouldn’t use your off-schedule hours to answer emails, pick up calls, or otherwise conduct business as it can actually cause your employee to unintentionally run afoul of overtime laws!
At-home office:
While it’s certainly tempting to work from the comfort of your couch, the reality is that it isn’t the best for your body. For example, balancing a laptop on your knees is all well and good to shoot off a quick email, but a full day in this position will have your shoulders screaming for mercy. Instead, carve out a space in your home, perhaps a dining room or even just a corner of your breakfast nook where you can set up your laptop, as well as any paperwork or supplies you frequently use. It should also be noted that setting up an office also helps you to appear more professional if you’re video conferencing with coworkers, as well as helps you to delineate your “work zone” from your “home zone.”
Take a break:
Much like you would in the office, you need to build adequate break times into your day. Where you would have organically broken up your day by chatting with your peers, giving yourself an informal but much needed mental break, you’ll want to work in small periods of respite throughout your day. If you have a pet at home, take them for a brief walk which has the added benefit of building some physical activity into your day or, since you’re home, take a minute to catch up on a quick chore or errand that isn’t too brain intensive. Further, we can’t stress enough how important it is to take a lunch break. Since you are home, you can likely rustle up far more imaginative fare than you could in the office, but also be sure to sit down, away from your desk, and enjoy your meal before heading back to work.
Limit distractions:
In order to be your most productive at work, you need to minimize distractions. While some folks work best with a little background noise, others need absolute silence. Similarly, some folks can work with their phones in their hands, while others need them shut off and practically locked in another room. The key here is to figure out what your distraction triggers are and find a way to remove them from your environment. Creating periods of uninterrupted concentration, followed by breaks and moments of respite where you can indulge in your distractions, will help make your day feel more balanced and you’ll find your productivity will soar.
Make a list:
To keep yourself on task and on track in regards to deadlines, consider making a to-do list, either every day, every week, or in whatever interval makes the most sense to you and your company’s workflow. By seeing all of your “to-do’s” laid out in front of you, you can not only prioritize, but also strategize how to best allocate your time and resources and stay on top of your projects. Further, you’ll have a tangible way to track your progress towards goals. It doesn’t matter what method you use whether it be pen and paper, an app, or even just reminders on your phone as long as it is a system that you can work with.
Bust out the business casual:
As we mentioned in our opener, one of the biggest draws is being able to wear your comfy clothes during office hours. In fact, numerous studies suggest that employees are more productive in clothes that they feel most comfortable in, but again it comes back to the idea of drawing a line between work and home. Further, if you’re going to still be making (literal!) sales calls or otherwise communicating with clients, you’ll still want to dress appropriately so as to convey an air of professionalism and respect for your client and your business. These days, athleisure wear strikes a balance between being comfortable and yet still looking pulled together, plus you can play with different layering pieces to create a look that is both business appropriate and couch comfy.
Give yourself some grace:
For many of us, working from home was an unexpected and perhaps an unwelcome change in the work environment. Couple that with having to share the space with spouses, partners, and even children, many of which have their own rigorous online learning schedule and the whole work from home gig can feel like a recipe for disaster. While establishing a schedule is a healthy way to create boundaries for yourself, your coworkers, and even the folks you share your living space with, being flexible with said boundaries is almost more important. Understand that gearing up to work from home is a learning curve and that there will be growing pains along the way as you learn what helps you to work best.
