How To Achieve Work-Home Balance When You Work From Home

Haaaaaaappy FRI-YAYYYYYY. I’m thrilled we have made it to another weeks (HOLLA). I had the best week catching up with friends and getting shiz DONE. #worklife. And speaking of work life: today I wanted to show you guys how to have a work-home balance when you work from home (because we all know when we spend all day erryday in the same spot, the lines get a little blurry where work starts and home begins). SO. Let’s dive into it.

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How To Achieve Work-Home Balance When You Work From Home

Why is work-home balance important?

So, you may be thinking, ok but I don’t have a problem with this so I don’t need to worry about it ever in life. BUT. I think it’s something you need to be on top of before it becomes a problem. When you don’t set boundaries and your work life blurs into your home life, it can take a toll on your mental and emotional health and basically make your house a toxic environment.

sometimes I work from my lovely couch right here. most often at 6:30am when I’m sharing my blog post on social media.

What kind of problems can happen when you don’t take care of this before it becomes a problem?

Well, for starters, you can develop what experts are calling a “grazing” pattern to your work. This type of work environment has potential to keep your stress levels at an all time high. Refreshing your emails at all hours of the day, constantly looking at a computer screen, not being able to relax during the evening because you are always “on” in your work environment.
You will also develop multi-tasking skills, which some will argue is a good thing. HOWEVER. It can also be a bad thing because your mind is constantly going from one thing to the next, without giving itself proper time to recover and relieve itself from stressful activities.

most often, I work from my vanity. I am surrounded by makeup and giant flowered letters aka my dream.

How can you fix these problems before they happen?

There are several ways to ensure that you are always staying on top of your work-home life balance when you work from home. The top 10 tips to keep you sane are as follows:

One. Set Regular Work Hours

This can be hard because when you work from home, everyone assumes you can just leave and hang out during the day like it was a weekend. While that is technically true, you are still running a business. That means you have things you need to get done during that day, or you will end up doing them at night when you are supposed to be hanging out with your family and putting work away.

Two. Set Up A Home Office

Even if you don’t technically have a home office space in your house, you still need to come up with a dedicated area in your home that you do your work in. Whether it is a corner of your living room, a station in your kitchen or a little spot in your bedroom, there needs to be one space that is ONLY work. It is easier to compartmentalize that way. Your work documents stay there, you only open emails in that spot, you only work on your agenda in that spot.

this is my bed and it is great except not to work. while it may be tempting to lay in bed all day on your laptop, resist the urge and go to your desk!

Three. Use A Planner And Set Your Day Up By Hour

I have found this SUPER helpful so that I don’t stop working to do home-related activities during the day. It’s hard for me to think when there are dirty dishes in the sink, or the bed isn’t made, or I need to clean Izzy’s litterbox. SO. Every morning, I make a list of home-related tasks and work-related tasks. I prioritize my day by hour so I know what I am supposed to be doing when. I know at 7am I am sharing my blog on social media, at 9am I have yoga, at 11:30am I am answering emails, at 1:00pm I am taking blog images, etc. That way I don’t get side tracked and I stay on top of what I need to be doing during the day.

 

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Four. Don’t Eat Lunch And Work

It’s so tempting to power through your lunch but whether you are at home or out of the house, taking a lunch break is very important. Step away from your desk / home office, and either go out of the house or eat in a separate room. You need that separation to wind down and focus on a non-work related task.

Five. Get Showered And Dressed

It is SO EASY (seriously) to stay in your pjs all day and forget about a shower when you work at home. I get the struggle and it’s SO real. However, if you actually get up and showered and get ready, you are usually more productive. You are also able to take a lunch break and go out if you want without worrying about looking like a homeless person. You usually feel better, can hop on calls at a moments notice and are prepared for anyone who happens to stop by unannounced (even if it’s just the UPS guy).

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Personally, I love working at home. It’s kind of my dream life. I get up, do my makeup, go to yoga, doing my blog-related activities, and can keep my house nice and clean the way I like it. I enjoy hanging out with my kitty, and being able to go to lunch with my mom or friends every week. Friday is also A’s day off, so I make sure to schedule my week around that so that I can have that day off, too!

PIN THIS FOR LATER:

You really can have the best of both worlds — it just takes some discipline! <3
Do you work at home? Do you find it difficult to maintain a work-home balance? Let me know in the comments below!