How to work from home
Working from home is a new thing for many people right now all around the world, but chances are they had an idea of how it went already in their heads. Now that they’re experiencing it, however, many of them, maybe yourself included, are finding that it isn’t at all like they thought.
Have no fear, with this one simple trick you can maintain balance while working from home so one side doesn’t overwhelm the other.
Are you ready for it?
Have a routine and stick to it.
Yep! It is that simple. But don’t worry I’m going to give you more details than that.
Sit back and get ready to learn step by step how to maintain balance while working from home.
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Working from home tips:
1. Set a time to start and end your workday
When you work outside of the home, you have set working hours and you know those hours are reserved for “the office”. It’s almost impossible for you to do your own household tasks while on the job.
Think about it.
You don’t suddenly leave work to go grocery shopping or do laundry.
Why?
Because you’re focused on work!
But, when you work from home, sometimes the lines can easily get blurred. You find yourself getting up and washing dishes or stopping to cook a quick meal.
Here’s the thing, working from home should be treated the exact same way as working in the office.
You know when your workday will begin and you know when it ends. Everything that happens between that time should be work-related only. Of course you’d still make time for your usual breaks and lunch. Doing it this way helps mentally make the shift from workday to being at home easy and you won’t be working for hours into the evening on a project.
You wouldn’t do that at the office, would you? (Hopefully, the answer is no.)
So remember, have a set time that work starts and finishes and be sure to communicate this with your family.
2. Get dressed
If you’re having trouble getting into the work frame of mind then get dressed for work each day. Change out of your PJs and into your work clothes. You can leave off the tie or makeup if you want.
Then at the end of the workday change out of your work clothes and get into whatever you’d like to wear. Doing this creates yet another barrier between your workday and the rest of your life.
3. Define your workspace
You need to determine which area in your home is going to be your “office”. If you have a true home office, use that. If not, consider your dining room table, an area in your bedroom, or a guest room that’s rarely used.
It doesn’t matter where you pick. You just want to teach your brain that this is where work will happen and be consistent with it. If not, you’ll find it extremely difficult to stay focus on your work tasks because you’ll be easily distracted.
If your workspace doubles as something else too, use this to help define the space.
4. End your workday
It’s easy to allow your work to spill into your personal time, especially when you’re working from home. To keep this from happening, another thing you can do is physically put your work away.
If you’re working on a laptop then pack it away in your work bag at the end of the day. If you’re working out of a home office, close the door behind you at the end of the workday and don’t go back in again until it is time for work.
Once again, you’re creating separation between the two aspects of your life that’s usually provided by your commute time.
5. Don’t mix work and home
Not many people live in mansions so sometimes rooms in your house have to play double duty. That’s even more common when working from home. Sometimes your office is in
Let’s say you want to use your home office or your workspace again that day but for personal projects or playing games. You would still close the door at the end of the workday and walk away.
Remember, this is to let your brain know that you’re done with working. Then do something else like make dinner or sit down and talk with the family. This will allow your mind to get even more distance from work.
Now, when you go back into your office later, it’s no longer the spot where you work, it’s the spot where you play. This change in mentality may take some time to adjust to but keep reminding yourself of it each day and before long it will become second nature.
How to maintain balance while working from home
Working from home is hard especially if you’ve never done it before. It’s a skill you’ll have to learn.
It’s important to maintain boundaries so you can achieve balance between your work life and your home life. When you’re going to a brick and mortar business, these boundaries are naturally created. But, when you work from home, you have to be conscious of your two worlds and mentally and physically create a separation between the two.
Creating a routine that involves having a set time for your workday, a defined space to do your work, and not mixing work and home will definitely make working from home easier to do.
While implementing this system, don’t forget about your weekends. This is the final piece in separating work from home when you work at home.
Let your weekends be weekends! No work allowed on the weekends. Try to spend as much time as possible out of whatever room it is you’re working from. This will help you not only unwind and enjoy your weekend but also continue to protect your personal life.
What are your favorite work from home tips and how do you maintain balance? Share with us in the comments.