7 Ways to Achieve Work Life Balance…Even When You Work From Home
Working from home definitely has its perks both for employees and employers. But when you work from home sometimes it can be difficult to establish mental boundaries between your work life and your home life. Even if you don’t work from home, it can still be challenging to achieve work life balance.
However, finding work life balance is possible and it will feel so worth it when you do.
This blog post is going to give you 7 ways to achieve work life balance even when you work from home.
1. Have a ritual after work
One of the benefits of working from home is that you no longer have to take that long drive to work or get on a crowded subway every morning. That gives you so much extra time in your day.
But…when you commute to work everyday, you have a period of time when you are traveling home from work where you can decompress by listening to a podcast or blasting your favorite tunes.
When you work from home though, you don’t have that same dedicated time to mentally and physically detach from work after you’re done for the day.
Even though you are already at home, still develop some sort of after work ritual where you can mentally detach yourself from the long day of work you put in.
This doesn’t need be as long as your commute would have been, it can even be just 15 minutes.
Listen to a podcast, sing along to a playlist, make a snack, or do whatever you think will bring you joy and allow you to mentally get ready to put work behind you until tomorrow.
2. Write things down
Whether you work from home or not, it can be easy for thoughts about work to come up even when you’re off the clock. Have a notebook or dedicated place on your phone to write down work related thoughts as they come up.
After you write it down, you can feel reassured that you have it noted somewhere and you can go back and refer to it once your back at work.
Once you write it down, put it out of your mind and remain present on your personal life.
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3. Put your computer away
You know that saying, “Out of sight out of mind”? There is some truth to that and can be employed to help achieve work life balance.
When you are done working for the day, establish a physical boundary by putting your computer in another room of your home. This will help you focus on your personal priorities when you’re outside of work.
It can also help to have a dedicated space in your home where you conduct work and other dedicated areas where you relax and sleep. That physical boundary will help establish a mental one as well.
4. Set personal goals
We spend so much time at work and are often working towards our professional goals. But it’s just as important to set personal goals as well.
These goals can be about your health, relationships, skills, hobbies, etc. Start small by setting one or two personal goals and then use your time after work to achieve them.
Having personal goals will give you something to focus on after work other than just watching TV or something like that where it’s easy to let your mind wander back to what you need to do at work the next day.
Setting personal goals will also allow you to feel a sense of accomplishment outside of work and help you achieve that work life balance you crave.
For more information on how to set personal goals and crush them, read more here.
5. Make plans after work
Similar to why it’s important to set personal goals, it’s also important to make plans after work.
I know, working can be tiring, and then you have to somehow make dinner, exercise, take care of your pets or family, clean…the list goes on and on.
But making plans after work, even if it’s just every now and then, is important to give you a sense of purpose and enjoyment in your life outside of work.
Make plans with friends or take a yoga class. Just pick something that you think will fill your soul and make you feel fulfilled outside of work.
Turn your personal passions into a hobby that will give your life purpose and some fun outside of work.
6. Establish a night routine
Establishing a night routine to help you relax and prepare for bed will help you mentally detach from work. If you feel stressed from work, it’s important to set aside dedicated time for relaxation.
Establishing a night routine that is consistent and packed with self care will also help you achieve healthy sleep patterns which contributes to overall better health and mental wellness.
Click here for more details on how to create a self care night routine.
7. Talk to someone
If you try the previous six steps, and you find yourself still struggling to detach from work or have work-related anxiety you can also talk to someone.
Finding a therapist in your city or using an app like Sanity and Self where you can talk to a counselor 1:1 online can be really beneficial.
Click here to read my post about the self care app, Sanity and Self.
You can also open up to someone in your life that you trust. Chances are they have struggled with something similar in the past and could give you some advice, perspective, or at least just an ear to listen.
The desire to find greater work life balance is common and reaching out to others can be beneficial.
Those are the 7 ways to achieve work life balance, even when you work from home.
Working from home can be great for so many reasons. But it can also lead to difficulties finding work life balance.
These 7 steps will make it a little easier to mentally detach yourself from work and focus on your personal life as well.
Choose a few of these tactics at a time and see how implementing them can work for your life.
Comment below if you try any of these ideas!
For more information on stress management, read more here:
