Working from home can often be a double-edged sword, as it offers plenty of positive benefits, such as being your boss, but it also makes it hard to disconnect from your work when you’re no longer at the office. Fortunately, there are things you can do to stay productive and find balance when working from home so you can enjoy the perks of being your boss while still maintaining your sanity!
Here are five great tips to help you achieve this goal.
Working from home can be awesome, but you must remember that it also comes with challenges. The lack of structure may make it difficult to stay productive, and you might need help finding the balance between your work life and your personal life.
This article discusses five tips to help you stay productive and find balance while working from home!
What is work-life balance?
Work-life balance is balancing your life’s different aspects so you can be happy, fulfilled, and productive.
It’s about ensuring you’re spending enough time on work without neglecting personal and family responsibilities and vice versa.
The key is to find a way to do both successfully. You need to pay attention to the critical tips for staying productive while also finding balance from home:
1. Set Up A Dedicated Workspace
Setting up a dedicated workspace in your home or at least designating a specific area to work from is essential. If you work from your bed, the kitchen table, or the couch, you are more likely to start doing something else when you’re interrupted by the phone or kids.
When you have a designated space where you can go and focus on working, it’s much easier to stay productive and find a balance between life and work. You also don’t have to worry about anyone walking in and interrupting your work with small talk if they know not to come near you!
The dedicated space doesn’t need to be large either – even an unused living room corner can suffice. You need enough room for a desk, computer chair, printer/scanner, etc. And then, make sure this workspace has enough natural or artificial light as required.
2. Get Dressed For Work
Sounds silly, but it is important to get dressed for work, even if you’re not going into an office. This helps set your mindset that you are at work. Plus, it’s easy to look professional without thinking too hard about what you’re wearing or spending much time getting ready.
Starting your day on time, getting up on time, and beginning your day with a clear head are key to staying productive. If you have trouble waking up in the morning, try waking up 15 minutes before your alarm clock goes off to give yourself enough time to start your morning routine.
Once you’ve gotten out of bed, give yourself some extra time in the shower to wash and condition your hair while also taking care of other necessities like brushing your teeth or shaving. You’ll feel better afterward, knowing that all those necessary hygiene tasks were taken care of!
3. Set Office Hours
Setting office hours is an excellent way to keep yourself accountable and maintain balance. If you’re working from home, don’t be afraid to set boundaries and establish what time of day is work time and family time. This will not only help you stay productive, but it will also help your family’s life-work balance.
Although working from home is much more flexible than a traditional 9-to-5 job, it can also lead to burnout. Establishing boundaries will help you not only find work / life balance but it will also increase your productivity.
Studies have shown that for every ten additional hours of face time at an office job, employees are less productive and take almost one hour longer to finish their work each day than those who don’t put in long hours.
4. Take Breaks
Take Breaks – Take regular breaks to refresh and recharge.
It’s easy to get caught up in the workflow, but it’s essential to maintain a healthy balance between your personal and professional life.
Schedule breaks every hour or two, and try not to work more than six hours without a break.
Try taking one day off each week to do something you enjoy outside of work that might be impossible on weekends when you’re working.
Make sure you get enough sleep to give 100% at work and still function well outside the office.
5. Set Boundaries with Family & Friends
Find a Work-Life Balance
Find a job that you love
Working from home can make all the difference when you’re stuck at home. The key is finding a job you love and then working from home. Here are some tips for staying productive and finding balance if you work from home. Find a job with flexible hours, even if you must work late or early in the morning. This will give you more time with your family in the evening and allow uninterrupted work time during the day. It doesn’t have to be fancy; a desk with a lamp and a computer will do.
