Achieving Work-Life Balance when Working from Home
Working from home has its advantages. The coffee is great, and the commute is fantastic. Along with all of the benefits people get from working at home, the territory also comes with a potentially serious downside. Many employees find it hard, if not impossible to separate their professional and personal lives. Distractions (e.g. children, chores, a broken refrigerator) can interfere with your focus and productivity, while not having regimented office hours can make it difficult to switch off. Many professionals feel like they are always on and the lines between professional and personal lives become blurred. It may not be possible to completely separate the two, however these five tips can help you improve your work-life balance.
Make a Dedicated Workspace
It is very important that you create a dedicated workspace. This can be a spare bedroom, attic space, or whatever, the most critical thing is that this space is for only for working and that you only work in this space. If possible, use a room that has a door so that you can block out distractions. Also, unless your job requires it, you should avoid distractions inside your office, such as TVs, workout equipment, etc.
Put on Your Suit
You really don’t have to put on a suit, but you should get dressed for work every morning. You hear a lot about being able to work in your pajamas. This contributes to the line blurring. Getting dressed for work will help make a clear distinction between work and personal time. Plus, you’ll feel more professional.
Create a Schedule
Work has to get done, but so does the laundry. Create a schedule for all of your personal and business tasks and stick to it.
Take a Break
Many stay-at-home professionals complain that they are always working. Just like when you worked in your corporate office, you need to take breaks. Take a coffee break in the morning. Then take a lunch break. If you can, leave your house for lunch to avoid the temptation of a working lunch. In the afternoon take a 15-minute walk around the block to clear your head and prepare you for the rest of the workday.
Close Up Shop at the End of the Day
A big benefit of working from home is that you can work any time of day that you like. Some people are morning people, while others are night owls. The time of day, or night, you choose to work isn’t important. What is important is that you schedule your work hours, and when work time is over you turn out the lights and close the door to your office.
Give these tips a try and see how you can get balance back into your life.
Danielle Foppe is a Recruitment Manager at Business Centric Technology. If you are interested in learning more about how to get the best IT talent in the Dallas metroplex, contact Danielle specializes in recruiting IT talent in Dallas, Ft. Worth and North Texas. If you are looking for a rewarding career contact us today.