Finding a proper work-life balance is something that many people struggle with, especially when working from home. However, there are many techniques that can be used to help create an ideal work-life balance. This balance is never achieved in a day, it takes time, and you’ll need to figure out what works for you.
Create boundaries
When working from home, it can be easy to wear comfy clothes and stay in bed all day on your laptop. However, creating a distinction between work and relaxation can help you get into a working groove. One way to achieve this can be to get dressed for work like you were going to the office, or even wearing shoes while you work.
For similar reasons, having a distinct “work area” in your home can create that separation between work and relaxation. Whether this be an office, a desk, or even the kitchen table, having a space specifically for working allows you to get into the right mindset to work.
Manage your time effectively
Managing your time is key to achieving proper work-life balance when working from home, and there is no one solution that works for everyone. Some people find a set daily schedule works best for them, while others prefer to work sporadically throughout the day. Maybe you want to work shorter days seven days a week, or maybe fewer days a week but longer hours.
There is no right answer, and you can find balance in any scenario. In order to not burn yourself out, you should strive for a realistic schedule. This can allow you to get more work done in less time instead of cramming your day full of unrealistic looming deadlines.
Managing your time within your work day can also be a challenge. Here are some time-management tools we recommend.
The Pomodoro method: This is a simple time-management method used for short working sprints. You work for 25 minutes then break for five minutes, four times in a row. After four working sessions,take a longer 15-30 minute break. A good website to use for tracking this is pomofocus.io
The Yesterbox email system: Popularized by the late Tony Hsieh, the Yesterbox email system works by only answering emails that came in yesterday. The idea behind this is that many problems solve themselves and you can use yesterday’s emails as a to-do list for today.
Task tracking tools: There are a multitude of task-tracking tools out there nowadays.The ones I’ve used and enjoyed are Asana, Notion, and Obsidian. These are listed in terms of difficulty with regards to the learning curve and implementation, with Asana being the easiest to use.
Listing your top 6 and or top 3 tasks for the day: This is a great way to make sure your attention stays on what really matters. If you only had the time to complete 3 or 6 tasks today, what would you prioritize first? Write those out and do them!
Remember that it is a balance between work and life, and not focus too much on one or the other. While maintaining a set schedule may be beneficial, understand there is no perfect work-life balance. Working from home is a constant juggling act of everything involved in your life, and all you can do is get better at that juggling.