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By now, the shine of remote working has started to rub off a little.

I say ‘a little’ because avoiding traffic, sleeping in a little later, and working in pyjamas is the career goal I never thought I’d achieve.

*Ticks goal off list.*

*Adds ‘four-day workweek’ to list.*

The unanticipated downside of remote working, especially when you can’t head off to a coffee shop for a change of scenery, is that separating work and life is more challenging.

Whether you’re rocking an Insta-worthy home office, a tray on your lap, a kitchen counter, or ironing board, The Huffington Post has some tips to ensure that you maintain a work-life balance when you live and work in the same place.

One size does not fit all…

Working from home has affected some more than others when it comes to productivity and procrastination.

Without the threat that your boss could pop in at any moment, all of the things left undone around the house could suddenly seem far more pressing than the report you’re supposed to be doing.

It’s also hard to concentrate with teenagers fighting in the background or a toddler hanging onto your leg.

Sit down and take stock of your specific circumstances and needs, then formulate a plan with your manager that works for you.

Employee tracking software can be of great help here, showing you how you use time daily, and identifying productivity peaks and bottoms. You can use this information to reorganize your work-time to achieve set goals.

Set boundaries

While it is good to be as productive as possible, it’s also important not to become a slave to your job.

“Because work is spilling into home life I think it’s important to have some boundaries,” says Chloe Brotheridge, hypnotherapist and Calmer You coach.

“That might be around when you answer emails or phone calls, your lunch break, what time you start and finish work.

Remember that you set expectations through actions. If you’re answering emails at 10PM, your colleagues could come to expect that from you.

Boundaries also apply to physical space. Set up a work area that you only use for work. If you’re using the whole house to work, you’ll struggle to separate work and life over the weekend.

It is also important to adapt your office to the hot season. You should consider investing in the best tower fan, which can provide your home office with fresh airflow on summer days.

Turn on, then log out

If you’re working from home, you’re doing so on a computer.

“Building in digital detoxes in your life is a good idea. We’re straining our eyes with backlit screens, stressing ourselves over work emails and disappearing down a rabbit hole on social media, so clear your mind and keep technology outlook to a minimum.” Does that meeting really need to be on video? Try calling them instead.

Reduce screen time as far as possible, especially when you aren’t working.

The future of remote working

We need to get used to the idea that for the foreseeable future, and perhaps beyond the pandemic, remote working is the new normal.

And, that isn’t a bad thing.

Working from home has become an organisational necessity. We’ve seen that for many people it’s possible to work remotely and, for many companies, it’s now seen as a realistic – even positive and productive – way to operate.

“The more control we can have about the way we do our work could impact how we do our work better,” says Talks. “It should be less about location and more about what the output is.”

Businesses are forced to change the way they operate by handing control over to employees, and being more empathetic and compassionate towards staff and their needs outside of the workplace.

It’s often easy to forget that the person working for you has a life outside of the office.

Lastly, make sure that you make time to connect with people that you don’t work with.

If the office Zoom calls are the extent of your human interaction then it’s time for a change.

Good luck out there.

[source:huffpost]