WORK FROM HOME HACKS - FINDING BALANCE!


Photo by Anthony Shkraba from Pexels

Photo by Anthony Shkraba from Pexels

Working from home is now the “new normal ” and we are all navigating through the challenges and changes of working remotely.  If you are struggling to find the work-from-home, the live-at-home balance here are a few tricks.

💡First, recognize that there is no such thing as a 50/50 balance. There will be days when you work into the night but the goal is to be intentional with your work schedule and know when to step aware.

 

💡Create a physical space for your work, dedicate this space as your “office”.  Creating this space will help you to stay organized, maintain focus, and allow you to mentally place yourself into your workspace and maintain productivity. This will also help to ensure that you are not letting work find its way into your downtime, which is crucial to maintaining your productivity. Keep in mind that if you are self-employed you can deduct your expenses to create an office-like space. 

 

💡Sleeping at the office now has a whole new meaning! Be intentional about maintaining your usual work hours, if you would leave the office at 5 pm, leave your home office by then as well.  If you find yourself constantly working because you have all of your “office” resources available at all times you are ultimately putting a strain on your mental health and will see adverse effects on your productivity during the workday. This is when it becomes so important to check in with your supervisor to be clear about work culture and expectations. Oftentimes, just because a manager may send you an email at 11 pm it doesn't mean you need to respond at once. Check for clarity, negotiate expectations, and be clear so you can set appropriate boundaries and work hours.

💡Practice mindfulness while working to calm yourself when you are feeling overwhelmed.  Pay attention to the present moment, listen to the sounds around you, and breathe.  This will help you to calm your anxiety and regulate your emotional responses. Sometimes it can be hard to do - try starting with a few mindfulness apps to get started. I like Insight Timer and Fitbit. Start with about 2 minutes and try to build up to 5 minutes when you can.

If you have any tips or tricks that have helped you find balance in your transition to work-from-home please share them!

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tamika Stewart