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At first, working from home may have seemed like a really good thing. Not having to face COVID-19 daily while earning your paycheck from the couch wasn’t so bad in the scheme of things. In fact, you might’ve found you accomplished much more without commutes, coffee breaks, or even having to get fully dressed.
However, now we know that the new year will not wipe away our pandemic problem. We’ll still need to distance ourselves and work from our homes if we can. But, if you are like many people, the novelty of remote work has likely worn off. (Read more here about statistics of working from home).
As 2020’s temporary workplace starts to look more like the 2021 workplace norm, things may be getting a bit out of hand. With your home filling up with workplace concerns, your safe, relaxing spaces may feel cramped and less cozy. Tension may be rising in your relationships too, as distraction and productivity breach long-standing home and family boundaries.
Now is the time to take back some of your home space for more balance and less stress.
Fortunately, with some simple tweaks, COVID-inspired work/life balance can be achieved.
Tips for Work - Life Balance for COVID Working from Home
Keep Work Space and Home Space Separate
Designating a defined and separate workspace is key now. Our COVID situation is ongoing. Working on the couch or at the kitchen table only works temporarily. To focus well and discourage interruptions, a home office, partitioned room, or even a roomy closet can work. Imagine that you still need to create a "commute" from home to a separate work space, but it may be steps away instead of a drive.
Also, do try to keep your desk out of your bedroom. Balance is the goal. This encourages much-needed rest without the temptation to work at all hours.
You may need to invest in a cheap desk or table, or good quality headphones to make a creative and functional work space at home, but it will be worth it.
Work Times Need to Stay Firm and Finite
It may be tempting to spread your workday across the day or night in ways you never would have considered before. There is benefit in having this flexibility. However, the best way to stay productive and balanced is to stick to as normal a workday as possible. Shifting your schedule drastically or continually disrupts routines, relationships, and personal time. This can become unmanageable, ultimately doing more harm than good.
Just because your work supplies are near-by doesn't mean that you should work additional hours, or at a time that interferes with family meal time or routines. Working from home is not a call to slave labor or perfection. Boundaries and perspective prevent burnout.
Log Off Work and Lean Into Life
Technology is king right now. Remote work depends upon it. Our social lives have become increasingly screen dependent as well. You might even find that you are texting your partner from another room inside your house!
It’s important to look up, log off, and lean into the people around you.
Leave the work-related emails, texts, and zoom calls behind every day to be more present and connected. Check in with your family and friends. Eat meals together, keep playing board games. Keep having movie nights. Ride a bike and get some exercise. Spend time on a hobby.
Make those quarantine boredom-busters integral, meaningful parts of your life. This helps maintain balance and keeps work from becoming your whole life.
Schedule Personal Time to Warm up, Shift Gears, and Wind Down
Personal routines and relaxation are good for you. Don’t let your COVID-induced workdays steal those too.
You need intentional routines for prep time, self-care, and decompression sessions. These break up work monotony and keep you sane. Routines and rest are necessary and non-negotiable.
For example, without your commute, you may have surrendered your favorite morning radio show. Turn it on anyway and listen before checking your emails. Take breaks during the day to journal, go for a walk, or thumb through a magazine (not just switch to social media). After work, take time to decompress before mindfully plugging into your family and home life. During the time you would normally drive home, call a friend, do a quick workout, or purposefully meditate.
Embrace each section of your life separately and intentionally. Take moments between them for yourself to recharge. You deserve it.
Seek Support if You Need It
Be kind and patient with yourself. Whatever the circumstance, working from home is a challenge. The pandemic adds another layer of stress. If it all feels like too much or you’re at a loss as to how to productively move forward, counseling can help.
Contact Me
I know how stressful and demanding it can be to make changes in your life, but you don’t have to figure it out on your own. Some of the benefits of individual therapy include:
- Having a safe, confidential space to work through life’s struggles
- Speaking openly with a highly-trained professional
- Learning to be curious about oneself and become more mindful about your choices
- Identifying relationship patterns that are helpful, or existing patterns that are interfering with your growth and wellbeing.
- I offer online therapy (video conference style of therapy), which provides an increased level of comfort as you could meet with me from the privacy and comfort of your own home or other location.
You can request a specific appointment time that fits your schedule. Once confirmed, you can complete all New Patient Intake paperwork online as well.
*** The tips offered in this article are for general information and should not be considered medical or psychological advice. For more personalized recommendations appropriate to your individual situation, please contact us or obtain professional guidance.
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