Work From Home : Setting Boundaries

In recent times many of us have found ourselves working remotely, or dividing our time between the office and home. Whilst WFH can come with huge benefits (no commute, cooked lunch, saving money) it can also be really difficult to keep track of time, and stop the professional merging with the personal. We've shared some of the best ways to set boundaries when working from home.

Micro-Office

Having a dedicated workspace in your home is a great first step in stopping your professional life leaking all over the rest of your house. Whilst it can be tempting to sit on the sofa, in bed, or at the dining table with your laptop, it's not good for switching off when it matters. There are many desks for small spaces available to buy online, so even if you can't cordon off an entire office in your home, you can at least carve out a part of one room that's only for work, leaving the rest of the room blissfully care-free.

Work Hours

Working hours are a lot easier to track when you have a train to catch, and this is where calendars come in handy. Writing in a hard stop every day will remind you it's time to log out, and making this visible for everyone to see will stop your colleagues contacting you 24/7 (or at least make them think twice about it)

Take Breaks

We love breaks, but working remotely makes it difficult to take them. In a physical office your colleagues will see you're not at your desk and wait 'til you're back to bother you, but when you work from home it's a little more difficult not to feel guilty about not responding to a message ASAP. Utilising your calendar to signify a lunch break will let your co-workers know you're not available, and ease those feelings of guilt as you take an hour to do whatever you please, replenish your brain, and come back to your desk more productive.

Respect Your Time Off

When our workplace is our homespace it's very easy to 'just check one thing', but having the willpower to let things lie until Monday morning means that your time off will be exactly that.

Have a Routine

A 20 minute yoga class before work, followed by a coffee and a newspaper, or a run around the local park, having a daily routine before and after work helps drive a wedge between rolling straight out of bed and onto your desk. It can be tempting to start work early just because you can, but taking time for yourself is important, and so establishing a little me-time that you do every day can help set healthy boundaries.

'Commute'

Commutes are barbaric, but a fifteen minute walk after work will give you the change in perspective (read: a break from 8 straight hours of spreadsheets) you need to remind yourself of the big wide world that needs your attention too. Having a post-work activity as soon as you finish your 9-5, whether it's the gym, a fitness class, or even just switching on your favourite TV show, make sure you get that time to remind your mind it's time to unwind.

Final Note

Working from home can be a pleasure, but it takes a little effort to get there. Let us know your best tips to ace remote working, and we'll share them on our blogs! Contact us at hello@sundaysanctuary.co