There’s no doubt that working from home has affected us differently. According to a poll of All Things Hair readers, 52.36% said that working from home has had a positive effect on their overall wellbeing, while 21% said working from home had a negative effect (and 26.64% said they felt about the same).
Even for those of us who like working from home, it can be a struggle to stay engaged and positive. The division between work and home life may have eroded at least to some degree, making it hard to mentally place work stress outside the home. Some people may be working with family noise going on in the background. And there’s the fact that the built-in social factor of the office isn’t there. So, below we’ll cover tips on how to reset that work/life balance when working remotely.
Take Charge of Your Workspace
One of the main ways to feel more in control of your work/life balance is to set up a designated office space, if space allows for it. Having an office can help you feel like you still have that designated work area, both physically and mentally. When you’re in that space, you can go full-on work mode. Then, when you’re done for the day, you can close that door and get some mental distance from your work.
Even if you don’t have the space, you might want to look into creative solutions. For instance, some people place fold-down worktables in the wall or have tiny offices inside closets. When done, these people can fold up the workspace and feel like the work is complete for the moment. Getting that mental distance may be able to help you put that work stress to the side and fully focus on home life.
Set Boundaries
It’s common to hear about people working from home and suddenly it seems like they’re always on call, regardless of the time of day (or evening!). Coworkers or bosses may assume because someone is home that they are always available to chat or even get some work done. As such, it’s important to try to negotiate or designate certain hours that you are around to work and talk – and certain hours that you’re not.
Sometimes that behavior can come from family or friends, too. People may interrupt you while working or expect you to get things done while you’re supposed to be focused on work, like the laundry or the dishes. So it’s also important to tell people in your personal life that you have certain work hours.
Focus on Self-Care
Another way to feel more in control of your personal life is to make sure you still take the time to eat a healthy breakfast in the morning and keep up your personal care routines. You might even try new self-care routines, like a new exercise or hairstyle. Doing so can help you feel like you’re on top of the fundamentals in life.
As a final note, make time to keep up with friends and family to keep socially healthy. You might schedule a video call to catch up or go out, depending on local restrictions.
