Last year, 60 percent of workers working remotely claimed they’d prefer to continue to work this way. No wonder why: think about all the remote staff benefits an individual gains (e.g., no need to spend money on transportation, no daily commute stress).
Sure, maintaining a work-life balance can be difficult. But don’t sweat it, we have some tips to help you.
However, it’s easy to get distracted when kids, pets, or video games are around and end up working until late in the evening.
1. Get Ready for Work
Since there’s no need to worry about traffic, you may be tempted to hit the snooze button and sleep in. If you want to be productive and finish work when you’re supposed to, wake up on time, take a shower, eat breakfast and dress up properly as if you were planning to go to the office.
These rituals and routines will help get you in the right mindset for working from home.
2. Make A Schedule
If you were working in an office, you would have a schedule, so why should it be different when working from home? This is how we need to focus on Work-life Balance!
You need a consistent schedule to have some control over the number of hours you’re working.
If you notice that you are constantly working extra hours, try to understand why and address it. For instance, if you get easily distracted by the sound of your phone’s notifications, turn it off during work hours.
Ultimately, following a schedule will help you avoid burnout. So, create one and stick to it.
3. Create an Effective Virtual Office Setup
Search google for best virtual office setup and you’ll find a treasure chest of online software productivity tools and physical office tools from ergonomic furniture and task lighting.
Don’t work at the sofa or kitchen table. Create a space, even if its tiny but make it productive workspace and emulate a workspace like the one you had at your office or coworking space.
Search software productivity tools and you’ll get another list of free and simple tools to create your Virtual office such as a Virtual Mailbox that can improve your work life balance.
4. Try a Change of Scenery
Eventually, you might find yourself struggling when working from home. When this happens, it may be worth considering a change of scenery.
A new environment, like a coffee shop with free wifi or a library, can help break up remote work’s monotony, leading to an increase in your productivity and happiness level.
You might even consider a coworking space (especially if your home is not a quiet place). Keep in mind that this kind of environment can be fantastic for conferences or video calls.
5. Start Small – experience success
We do it all the time. We read about setting goals, achieving big things, reaching new heights. But how do you feel when it fizzles out? How many times have you said, I bit off more than I could chew. My eyes were bigger than my stomach.
Try setting a small goal. Succeed and now check out how you feel. Increase that goal by a small increment and achieve that and presto, you’re feeling success and you’re on a roll. If you’re trying to change various scripts in your life, start small and experience some success.
Savour the feeling and build from there.
Maintaining a Work-Life Balance
Maintaining a work-life balance can be tricky, but it’s not impossible. Try following a few of the tips above, you’ll notice how much easier it will be to finish work at an appropriate time and find a moment for your personal things.