Working from home offers real flexibility and freedom — but without the right boundaries and habits in place, work and personal life can blur into one exhausting blur. The difference between remote workers who thrive and those who burn out usually comes down to a few simple but intentional practices. These five tips are a practical starting point for anyone looking to get more out of their remote work setup without sacrificing the life part.
Key Takeaways:
We are thrilled to be working with a guest contributor, Arnold Rogers. Arnold is an experienced business consultant in areas of lead generation, customer experience, service development, and small business cash flow and financial management.
Have you found the perfect balance between work and personal life while working from home? If you’re anything like us...the answer is probably no. It’s a thin line managing a job and a personal life under the same roof, and boundaries can become blurred pretty quickly.
However, working from home can also open doors to a more flexible schedule and opportunities you maybe wouldn’t have had if you were in an office 8 hours a day.
What’s the answer? Learning to maintain a healthy work-life balance when working remotely.
Here’s our list of 5 tips to start becoming the work-from-home master.
Use tools that can help you remain focused and on schedule. Who knows, maybe you won’t have to tie a string around your finger to remember that report you needed to get to Deborah or send a rush response at 10 pm to an email you forgot about.
You have A LOT of options, literally at your fingertips:
These super simple tools can make your workdays more productive and efficient. Regardless of the tools you need, it’s likely that there’s an app for that. (Thanks, Steve Jobs!!!)
When it comes to additional tools that you might need for remote meetings and more, consider using sites like GetApp, G2, and Capterra. You’ll be able to find and compare different software and applications to find the best solution to fit your needs!
One of the best things about working remotely is that you can work from practically anywhere. But there’s also a big problem: work and home life can get blurred pretty easily when you’re working and living in the same space.
What’s the answer? Dedicate a space to be your home office. Instead of leaving an office building when you’re done working, you leave your home office and draw a clear line between work and home.
If it’s a possibility for you, having a dedicated room to work is the best, especially if you have a lot going on at home. When you set apart a space for your work at home, you can be confident you won’t be blurring the lines between a board meeting and family dinner at the same table.
Another option? Turn part of a room into your home office. It could be a section of your bedroom or family room...or really any other room (except maybe your bathroom...)! Reserve that space for all things work—and only work.
While jobs are a part of life, you don’t have to start your day with them! Try beginning your day with activities you enjoy. Go for a walk, meditate, watch funny videos, or eat a stack of 50 pancakes.
Try to keep your mind free of ‘work, work, work’ when you are off the clock. If you have an “aha moment,” jot the idea down and deal with it when you’re back in work mode!
One of the big mistakes A LOT of home-based employees make is working at all hours of the day...and maybe even night. This is even more true if you’re not required to clock in and out at specific times.
Make sure you add some structure so you leave room in your day to have a personal life! One way to fix this? Create a schedule with designated ‘start’ and ‘end’ times.
What’s the reason? It’s easier to stay focused and motivated to finish up your daily tasks when you know you’ve got to finish by 5 pm!
Before you call it a day, maybe consider adding a sticky note to your desk or wall as a self-reminder of what you’ll need to start the next morning. You’ll be confident you won’t forget any to-do’s the next day.
While working in the office is great and seeing your coworkers every day is awesome, there are a TON of benefits when you work from home. Saving money on gas when you don’t have to drive into the office? Yes, please! Another plus? Every day is casual Friday! (Woot, woot!)
Personal space is another huge plus of working from home. You’ll have the whole kitchen to yourself. No more mysterious leftover fish smell coming from the microwave!
We want you to love your job, and that means loving the time you have outside of the office. Working remotely can give you flexibility and freedom you might not have had before. So, make the most of your situation and live the most meaningful life possible—on and off the job.
