Many of us are continuing to work & study from home. I’m hearing from lots of people that they’re finding it difficult to keep home & work separate. This blog talks about how to work & study successfully from home.
When you work & live in the same space, the lines can feel blurred. Particularly with putting your work hat on and taking it off at the end of the day.
Create boundaries.
So, what can you do? I find that when I create boundaries, I’m able to work well. Also, I can remain motivated & not become distracted by home life. Of course, there are times when this can be really tricky.
For those with young ones at home, half-term can prove difficult. Flexibility & kindness to yourself is important when it’s the holidays. If you have the children home & you have work or study to do, maybe try & set small focus sessions of 20 minutes. I would always start work early, then break for most of the day & complete work in the evenings. So, if your work allows this, it can be a great way to meet all needs.
Be careful with pushing too hard though, as you do need a rest as well if you’re able.
Plan, plan, plan!
Creating a plan and treating the day as a work / study day helps you to get into the right mindset. With this in mind, below are some tips:
- Know your working hours
- Try & separate your workspace from your living space as much as possible
- Schedule breaks as you would at work
- Create a ‘To-Do’ list
- Remove distractions
- Schedule intense focus sessions
- Reach out to others if you need support
- Leave your workspace when you take a break
- Prioritise workload / study
- Take time to switch off at the end of your working day
- Make a note of your achievements / Create a plan for tomorrow
What about those with chronic illness?
Working from home can be a fantastic way to remain in work or education. This new understanding of flexible working has been very welcomed. As someone who lives with ME/CFS, homeworking is much more accessible. Time management is vital in all aspects of life, and arguably even more so when managing health.
Learning to adapt and to compromise is crucial. Working this way enables me to move forwards. Goal setting and planning are key to my progression, as well as plenty of breaks.
How can I keep work/home life separate?
Preparing for the start of work and preparing for the end helps to separate work/home life.
If you can get into the habit of doing this, adjusting will be much easier.
- Create a routine – as you would if you were leaving the house to go to work / class.
- Try and remain focused only on work during work times. It can be really easy to do a couple of chores on your way back from the loo. Whilst there’s nothing wrong with popping some washing on, or packing away the dishes, it can become very distracting. More so when the task you’re doing is challenging or boring… So, create some rules, and try to stick to them as much as possible!
- Once you have finished for the day, pack up as much as possible and give yourself a little bit of time to re-adjust. Many of us commute to work, so we use this time to switch our brains from work to home. Like you do in the morning, create a routine to split the transition. It’s amazing how quickly our minds pick up on this, and you’ll be able to begin to unwind.
How can I help?
If you would like support to manage your work or study schedule, get in touch. We can arrange a call to discuss what you would like some help with.
Working from home is great – but we need to be able to separate the two & switch off.
If you have anything that you do to make working from home easier for you, leave a comment – it’s great to learn about what works for others.
Look out for my next blog. I’ll be providing some advice on how to overcome procrastination – and what might be going on for you when you hit a wall.
Lynsey
October,
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