Where we once had the option of a clear distinction between working at the office and clocking out and going home, with the switch to working AT home, such boundaries just don’t exist anymore. Many of us have transitioned to remote work are conducting business in the place we associated with rest. Some are fortunate to have created a dedicated office/work space, but as the days go by, even then the lines between home and work are being blurred. The trend of losing the division between our work and home environment is detrimental to our health. Medical News Today shares the dangers to our well-being when bringing work into home life. Having work take over our lives leads to “physical and emotional exhaustion” as well as negative effects on our overall state of being. To avoid this, it’s important to establish boundaries and maintain a healthy work-life balance. We compiled the tips below to help.
Designate Work Hours Only work during the work during ‘normal’ work hours you adhered to when you went into an office. Doing work scattered throughout the day is a recipe for completely intertwining work and home until they become indistinguishable and doing unpaid overtime by working all the time. Establish your “clock-in” and “clock-out,” only working between these times. As under normal circumstances, when you’ve clocked off, do work anymore.
Set times of day to check your email Medical News Today discusses the exhaustion of work taking over life, often a result of constantly checking emails. Make it a rule not to check email during your free time - work emails are still WORK. Again, treat work time like work time and home time like home time even while we’re physically at home.
Have a distinct home “office” or workspace If you don’t have a home office/workspace already, create one. Anywhere that screams “home” like the cozy couch or the comfy bed, is not the place to imprint “work” on. The American College of Healthcare Sciences shares that working on the bed is known to disrupt sleep leading to improper rest and thus exhaustion. Doing so trains your body to believe your bed = work! Try as best as you can to simulate having that separate workplace. You can get creative like TikToker, @wanderingbostoneater, and her neat closet office (great for those with limited space)!
Change into work clothes Further simulate the typical workday by actually changing out of sweat pants and into ‘work clothes.’ Pajamas can be too comfortable and give the feeling of sleep and rest. Besides, it’ll be a plus to show up to Zoom meetings looking put together!
Unplug at the end of the day Turn off your electronics and put away the disruptive blue light after a digital work day. Spend moments on your “home time” doing activities such as cooking, reading or exercising without staring at a screen. With laptops and phones becoming synonymous with work during this time, it could do you good to put the devices away for a few moments at “home.” Before you check that work email off hours, think again. While you are enjoying your “home time”, you’re better off letting it wait until tomorrow morning during “work time” at your designated Work-from-Home area. Use these tips to establish those boundaries and regain control of your work-life balance.
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