Creating a balance working from home (it can be done!)
Working from home in 2024 is now more common than ever. It’s one of the remnants of the Pandemic that looks to be a permanent part of daily work life for many of us. One of the most challenging aspects of working from home is finding the balance between our personal and professional lives. The lines are blurred because of the nature of the home office- the work place is literally in our homes and it can be challenging to find a healthy separation.
I began working from home like many of us during the start of the Pandemic. It was incredibly difficult at first to make this shift. I was twice as productive and seeing three times as many clients, but I was also quickly burning out two months into it. I finally, after much trial and error, developed my “working at home” rules that I follow to this day. I am continually modifying them in hopes of having the best home-work environment for myself and family.
Rule 1: My work day at home should be the same as it would be at the office. That means that I need to have mandatory breaks and a lunch each day. I hear too many people almost brag about not taking breaks, and this is clear recipe for burnout at work and in your home life.
Rule 2: When my sons ask me to play with them, look at something, or help them with something, I give them my time. Even if it’s for 5 minutes, I always want them to know that my work is secondary to my role as a father. They know that they have to knock when the door is closed and they know to wait until I’m off of the phone, but other than that, they know that they can easily access me. I’m never so busy that I can’t give them five minutes and I always want them to remember how important they are to me. It’s the small things that can make the biggest difference.
Rule 3: Create a dedicated work space. I am fortunate to have a separate office at home for now until the boys need their own rooms. If you have to have your work space a communal area like I did for the first two years of the pandemic, try to make it “closed” after work hours. This might mean that you make sure to put all file folders out of sight or turn off your computer. We want to try to create an important separation in our homes for work and personal time.
Rule 4: Write down your daily schedule and include any home distraction or task on it that you know you might encounter. There is nothing wrong with doing laundry, watering the plants, or taking care of other household chores during the day as long as I make it part of my schedule. I have found it super effective to make a written list of things I have to accomplish for the day, including both home and work tasks on the list. My day might start with emails, phone calls, laundry, updating my website, vacuuming, followed by working with my youngest son for 15 minutes. I might even include personal time on social media and my lunch time. I feel so much more productive instead of guilty because now those distractions are official tasks in my day.
Rule 5: If I’m feeling overwhelmed or stressed, I need to take a walk! In traditional work places, you have the commute home to decompress or nearby coworkers that you can vent to when things are stressful. We don’t have this simple luxury when we are working in a home office. It’s incredibly important that we monitor our self-help and give ourselves tools to navigate the daily stressors that work can throw our way!
Remember, working from home is still work, no matter where the location. As such, we much try to hold ourselves accountable to take care of ourselves as much as possible in order to maintain a healthy work-home balance. Develop your own set of “Work from home rules” and do not be afraid to continually have them evolve based on what your life needs. Good luck!
