Achieving a Work-Life Balance While Working From Home

Now that you’ve decided on a home workspace and have your office furniture and supplies set, your new home office should allow for a productive workday. The goal is to have a space that feels comfortable, suits your needs, and allows you to separate work life from home life, as working from home full time can often cause the line between the two to blur.

Here are a few simple tips that can help you achieve the work-life balance that will lead you to WFH success:

Determine and stick to your working hours: This may look different for everyone — some may follow the traditional 9-to-5 schedule, while others may have a more flexible arrangement that allows them to begin and end work as needed. Whatever the case might be for your particular situation, it’s important to have a start and end time for your WFH job to keep yourself on track. At the end of the day, leave your work in your office. Turn off the computer, put files and documents away, and know that everything will be in place when you return the next morning.
Take a break: Step away from your desk and computer at some point in the day to have a cup of coffee, go for a walk, or sit down for lunch with a family member. Having a routine each day, including a break or two, can help you adjust to the new normal of a remote job.
Get dressed before starting your workday: One of the benefits of a WFH job is that you don’t have to take the time to get dressed. Pajamas and comfortable athleisure have the potential to become your new work wardrobe. Wear whatever suits your situation, but getting dressed each morning helps establish that work-life separation. You don’t necessarily need to put on a suit and tie or a blouse and heels, but changing out of your pajamas (even if it’s into new pajamas) can certainly affect your mood and productivity throughout the day.
Have the right tools: Think of all the equipment that was accessible to you at work whenever you needed it — things that were already set in place, such as Wi-Fi, internet bandwidth, various software, printers, access to secure files, and other technical requirements. Try to have everything you once had in that work environment readily available in your new home office.
Take care of yourself: Set a timer to get out of your chair a few times throughout the day and walk around the room or get in a good stretch. You might also consider taking a break from staring at a computer screen. The American Academy of Ophthalmology recommends making a conscious effort to blink regularly to keep your eyes from drying out, following the “20-20-20” rule of shifting your eyes every 20 minutes to something at least 20 feet away for at least 20 seconds, using computer glasses to help decrease eye strain, or reducing the glare on your computer with a matte screen filter.

WFH jobs are here to stay for the foreseeable future, and with that comes the need for a reliable place to complete remote work. With the right home workspace, you should have no problem tackling every task that comes your way.

About the Author

Shaina Wizov is a lifestyle blogger and social media influencer with a background in journalism and media studies.

All content provided herein is for educational purposes only. It is provided “as is,” and neither the author nor Office Depot, Inc. warrants the accuracy of the information provided, nor do they assume any responsibility for errors, omissions, or contrary interpretation of the subject matter herein.

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