#DiscoverDepot Spotlight: Setting Boundaries at Home to Increase Productivity

June 9, 2021

By Jason Eisenberg
Community Program Manager for Office Depot

#DiscoverDepot Spotlight is a new content series highlighting some of our brand ambassadors who are also business owners, sharing their tips and insights on how they start, run and grow their businesses. If you would like to become and ambassador and potentially get spotlighted, sign up here!

According to Nadya Ramos – an owner of a marketing business, a spouse and a mother who works from home – setting boundaries for yourself and your family can help make a big impact on your wellness and business productivity. After all, setting boundaries can help you stay focused during work hours. Some of these boundaries include physical things like your own workspace and a door, but work-from-home life isn’t that cut and dry. Nadya can still hear her family watching TV on the other side of the house. I still hear the yardwork being done outside next door. Which leads us to the idea of having flexible boundaries.

“Boundaries are important but are not something that can be set in stone. It’s important to set them and respect them, but it’s also important to not be so hard on yourself and others if boundaries are crossed.” – Nadya Ramos


1) Start work with a ritual or routine

Having your own workspace can really help you set the tone of your workday, but not everyone has an extra bedroom or guest room to work out of. One way to get into your work mode is to have a ritual, or a routine.

“It’s really just preparing my physical space to mentally set myself up to focus and organize my thoughts.”

One of the first things Nadya suggests that worked is using aromatherapy to help get you to the desired mood you’re aiming for. 


The next part of the routine is to play some music of your choice that helps you get prepared, amped, focused – whatever it is you’re going for. Some people prefer to use noise cancelling headphones while they work as well so that auditory distractions are controlled by you.

Another tip Nadya shares is using an air purifier – not only does it make your work environment feel fresher, the slight ‘hum’ or white noise of the machine can help one concentrate as well.


2) Overcommunicate 


When Nadya suggests overcommunicating with people in your home, she is not saying to constantly remind them that you have work to do. It’s more about setting an expectation. She has established in her household that there is a calendar with sticky notes on it that indicate she has something important to do that cannot be interrupted in a block of time.

 

“If you’re going to the kitchen, you’re not going to be able to miss this calendar, it’s that big.”

 

So when her husband sees that Nadya is scheduled for a live interview at 11am, he knows that he could help by watching the kids or reminding them to be mindful during that time span.

 

3) Use your resources to stay organized

 

Organization can help you work smarter, be more productive and keep you motivated, especially when those flexible boundaries are crossed.


Being organized isn’t necessarily setting a boundary, but it makes it much easier to rebound from interruptions in work and life that can take you off focus. It’s the anchor to your business, really.

When Nadya refers to resources, she’s not just saying people in your network. She also means the tools you can use to stay organized, like the calendar, the sticky notes, the physical planner, the digital planner, storage & filing and more.

“As CEO, I have to be all the things for this business. To some it might seem silly and simple, but for someone balancing motherhood and running a business, these are resources that are key to keep me on track and motivated.”


4) Setting boundaries on yourself

Nadya mentions in the quote above that as CEO, she has to wear all of the hats in her business. But she is aware she a) cannot do it all by herself and b) needs to know when to say ‘no’.

Essentially, it’s setting boundaries on herself.

That’s why she has used virtual assistants and other business services in the past to help take things off her plate when things get overwhelming. If you can, try to delegate the stuff you can’t do or don’t want to do. This way, you can focus on work that motivates you or simply just enjoy your time off at the moment. 

Remember it’s important to set boundaries when working from home, but it’s also just as important to be flexible when those boundaries are sometimes crossed. For more information on Nadya’s marketing consulting business, visit her here.  


All content provided herein is for educational purposes only. It is provided “as is” and Office Depot does not warrant the accuracy of the information provided, nor does it assume any responsibility for errors, omissions or contrary interpretation of the subject matter herein.