At first, working from home may have seemed like a dream. As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, many of us are still working remotely. What started as a temporary solution in March of 2020 has now become the norm, and there’s no certain end in sight.  As time moves forward, you may notice one important problem: how do you find a work/life balance when you’re working from home?

If you’ve been struggling to find a work/life balance, don’t worry. With a few routine changes and some new boundaries, you can establish a work/life balance easily.

Set Up a Separate Workspace

When you’re working from home, you should have a designated spot for just that — work. Try to separate your workspace from others. If you have a separate room that can become an office, that’s the best solution. However, we don’t all have lots of extra space, so you may have to get creative. You can section off part of a room and set up a desk there if you don’t have a whole room for an office. Try to have your desk set up outside of the bedroom, though. If your desk is in the room where you sleep, it’ll be all too easy to roll out of bed and get straight to work. Remember, we’re looking to establish some separation between your work life and your personal life!

Work in Established Time Frames

Many people have found that the time in which they get their work done is a little more flexible. You may think, why not take a long lunch now, and then work a little later to get everything done? It may seem tempting to get more flexible with your schedule but try to avoid it. The best way to stay in a work mindset is to work during your normal hours. When you put off doing work now, you’re infringing on your personal time later, which will come to stress you out more in the long run.

Take Breaks and Disconnect

Are you constantly refreshing your phone for work-related emails, even during your breaks? Do you still do a little work here or there, even when you’ve already “left” work for the day? If you’re doing these things, you may be doing more harm than good. Making time to full disconnect from work will benefit your personal life. But if work is always on your radar, it’s difficult to be truly present to your personal life. Don’t hesitate to leave your phone at your desk while you’re eating lunch (away from your desk, of course!), or fully log off from work at the end of the workday. Focus on taking actual breaks and don’t allow your life to revolve around work.

Give Yourself Time to Prepare/Decompress Before and After Work

While not having to commute to work is a good thing for many people, it does take away a time that you may have previously used to prepare for or decompress from work. Try to keep up some of these routines at home. Listen to music for an hour before work, drink coffee, and do some reading. After work, take a little bit of time to decompress and be alone before interacting with your family. Embrace the moments where you can enjoy a little alone time.

Working from home is a new normal for many people, so don’t stress when you can’t accomplish perfection. Remember to set boundaries with both yourself and others to help maintain a healthier balance between your work life and your personal life. Find comfort in your routines and take breaks when you can. Working from home can be tedious. However, with the right separation, you can create healthy boundaries between your work life and personal life.

Be kind and patient with yourself. Some days will be easier than others but remember that you aren’t going through it alone. Soon enough, you’ll strike a great work/life balance with ease.

Set Up a Separate Workspace

When you’re working from home, you should have a designated spot for just that — work. Try to separate your workspace from others. If you have a separate room that can become an office, that’s the best solution. However, we don’t all have lots of extra space, so you may have to get creative. You can section off part of a room and set up a desk there if you don’t have a whole room for an office. Try to have your desk set up outside of the bedroom, though. If your desk is in the room where you sleep, it’ll be all too easy to roll out of bed and get straight to work. Remember, we’re looking to establish some separation between your work life and your personal life!

Work in Established Time Frames

Many people have found that the time in which they get their work done is a little more flexible. You may think, why not take a long lunch now, and then work a little later to get everything done? It may seem tempting to get more flexible with your schedule but try to avoid it. The best way to stay in a work mindset is to work during your normal hours. When you put off doing work now, you’re infringing on your personal time later, which will come to stress you out more in the long run.

Take Breaks and Disconnect

Are you constantly refreshing your phone for work-related emails, even during your breaks? Do you still do a little work here or there, even when you’ve already “left” work for the day? If you’re doing these things, you may be doing more harm than good. Making time to full disconnect from work will benefit your personal life. But if work is always on your radar, it’s difficult to be truly present to your personal life. Don’t hesitate to leave your phone at your desk while you’re eating lunch (away from your desk, of course!), or fully log off from work at the end of the workday. Focus on taking actual breaks and don’t allow your life to revolve around work.

Give Yourself Time to Prepare/Decompress Before and After Work

While not having to commute to work is a good thing for many people, it does take away a time that you may have previously used to prepare for or decompress from work. Try to keep up some of these routines at home. Listen to music for an hour before work, drink coffee, and do some reading. After work, take a little bit of time to decompress and be alone before interacting with your family. Embrace the moments where you can enjoy a little alone time.

Working from home is a new normal for many people, so don’t stress when you can’t accomplish perfection. Remember to set boundaries with both yourself and others to help maintain a healthier balance between your work life and your personal life. Find comfort in your routines and take breaks when you can. Working from home can be tedious. However, with the right separation, you can create healthy boundaries between your work life and personal life.

Be kind and patient with yourself. Some days will be easier than others but remember that you aren’t going through it alone. Soon enough, you’ll strike a great work/life balance with ease.

Set Up a Separate Workspace

When you’re working from home, you should have a designated spot for just that — work. Try to separate your workspace from others. If you have a separate room that can become an office, that’s the best solution. However, we don’t all have lots of extra space, so you may have to get creative. You can section off part of a room and set up a desk there if you don’t have a whole room for an office. Try to have your desk set up outside of the bedroom, though. If your desk is in the room where you sleep, it’ll be all too easy to roll out of bed and get straight to work. Remember, we’re looking to establish some separation between your work life and your personal life!

Work in Established Time Frames

Many people have found that the time in which they get their work done is a little more flexible. You may think, why not take a long lunch now, and then work a little later to get everything done? It may seem tempting to get more flexible with your schedule but try to avoid it. The best way to stay in a work mindset is to work during your normal hours. When you put off doing work now, you’re infringing on your personal time later, which will come to stress you out more in the long run.

Take Breaks and Disconnect

Are you constantly refreshing your phone for work-related emails, even during your breaks? Do you still do a little work here or there, even when you’ve already “left” work for the day? If you’re doing these things, you may be doing more harm than good. Making time to full disconnect from work will benefit your personal life. But if work is always on your radar, it’s difficult to be truly present to your personal life. Don’t hesitate to leave your phone at your desk while you’re eating lunch (away from your desk, of course!), or fully log off from work at the end of the workday. Focus on taking actual breaks and don’t allow your life to revolve around work.

Give Yourself Time to Prepare/Decompress Before and After Work

While not having to commute to work is a good thing for many people, it does take away a time that you may have previously used to prepare for or decompress from work. Try to keep up some of these routines at home. Listen to music for an hour before work, drink coffee, and do some reading. After work, take a little bit of time to decompress and be alone before interacting with your family. Embrace the moments where you can enjoy a little alone time.

Working from home is a new normal for many people, so don’t stress when you can’t accomplish perfection. Remember to set boundaries with both yourself and others to help maintain a healthier balance between your work life and your personal life. Find comfort in your routines and take breaks when you can. Working from home can be tedious. However, with the right separation, you can create healthy boundaries between your work life and personal life.

Be kind and patient with yourself. Some days will be easier than others but remember that you aren’t going through it alone. Soon enough, you’ll strike a great work/life balance with ease.

Contact the Relationship Counseling Center of Austin if you are struggling to find balance as we all navigate a post-COVID-19 world. To schedule a session with a therapist, give our office a call at (512) 270-4883, or request an appointment through the RCC Austin Scheduling page.

To read more, click here: Online Therapy.