Whilst working from home definitely has its advantages - it’s quite a joy to wear ugly home clothes without a care in the world and I don’t think any of us miss being wedged between the armpits of our fellow commuters - it can be difficult to feel motivated or strike up the right work / life balance.
As we head into another national lockdown and many of us are working from home for what feels like forever, I wanted to share the top things which have helped me get a good work / life balance over the past three years since I made the transition to working from home full time.
- If you can have a dedicated place / desk / area that you work in, which you can ideally leave once the working day is over. I’ve found mentally this helps so much for separating work and my normal life, and usually helps me get in and out of ‘work mode’ a lot easier.
- Do a non-digital activity after you finish work like going for a walk or doing a little workout in the house to put a definite close between ‘work’ and ‘play’. Removing myself totally to concentrate on another task really helps get out of work mode so I can enjoy my evenings. I also try to avoid staying on the computer / my phone directly after working too to help tune out.
- Sign up for Google docs they are a dream and you won’t regret it. They save instantly, backup previous versions and can be edited from any device. I use them to make ‘to do’ lists for every part of my life and it totally clears my head as it means I don’t have to actively remember anything. Listing priorities and marking them off also helps feel like you are working towards something and accomplishing things throughout the day.
- Try to have ‘solid working hours’. It’s SO easy to be like ‘oh I’ll just watch this show then work later’ and before you know it the day has passed and you are panic working to a deadline fuelled with red bull and fear. I also find this really helps for compartmentalising your life and really enjoying your spare time instead of having the fear hanging over you when you’re trying to unwind.
- Try and have a proper lunch break where you get away from the computer. I am the worst for this but I find even 20 minutes helps me feel refreshed and be able to get through more work quicker.
Watch things that require zero brain power to listen to whilst you work. I hate working in silence so just have music or something very light listening on in the background so I’m not dragged into an epic storyline I can’t take my eyes off.
What are your top tips? I’d love to hear them!
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