HELPFUL WORK FROM HOME TIPS TO LIVE BY

When you make the transition from working in the office to working from home, you’re faced with many questions: What will I do with all the extra time? How do I set boundaries with my co-workers? Is work-life balance even a thing when I’m working where I live?

You might feel extra anxiety thinking of how to answer these questions. After all, we're not working from home anymore — we're living at work. But try not to stress and focus on building your routine so it adjusts to your lifestyle. We can’t promise it’ll all be sunshine and rainbows, but if you implement these three practices during your transition, you can look forward to a seamless and rewarding WFH experience.

Understand the role of technology in your life

In a WFH situation, you and technology will become besties. You’ll use technology to communicate with your co-workers and perform your work tasks. When you add your work-related technology use to your personal technology use, it starts to feel like your attention is always on the digital environment.

As you make the transition from working IRL to WFH, set boundaries. Give yourself frequent screen-breaks. This keeps your brain rested and avoids straining your eyes. If you still feel like technology’s presence in your life is too much, try decreasing the amount of personal time you spend on it.

Dress the part

WFH means you can roll out of bed and work in your pajamas, right? Sure! You can absolutely do that, but it might not set you up for the most focused work day. Try incorporating at least one day of dressing the part for work. It helps you feel like you’re working and breaks up the monotony of that same pair of sweatpants you’re tempted to wear all week.

If you’re balking at the idea of “dressing up” to work in your home office, adjust what dressing up means to you. For some, wearing a nice blouse or dress shirt is sufficient. For others, some coordinated loungewear and running a brush through their hair is about as dressy as it’s gonna get. Do what feels right for you, but don’t feel bad for wanting to get gussied up once (or, dare we say it, twice!) a week.

Incorporate daily movement

Movement is a tried and true method to improve both physical and mental health. Taking a short midday walk. It’s good for stretching your legs, providing a change of scenery, and getting your blood pumping.

Adding a little stretching to your walk prevents stiffness and helps avoidtech neck. Overall, daily movement helps your body maintain its functionality.

Remember that WFH is still work

One thing you should remind yourself, friends, and family is that working from home is still work. It requires structure. It requires boundaries. It requires focus. Incorporating these practices into your WFH strategy will help you continue to accomplish your goals while maintaining your work-life balance.