Separating Work and Home While You Work From Home

Working from home can come as a welcome break for many of us who live and work in fast-moving big cities and metropolitans. It’s a disruption from the long commuting to and from work, endless traffic, and balancing work and home life during your busy schedule.

However, it’s also easy to get overwhelmed when you’re a few weeks—or months. Whether you’re working from home temporarily, due to the COVID-19 outbreak, or working from home regularly, these tips and tricks will help you a lot. Learn to effectively manage stress and separate your work and home life in the following ways:

Choose office hours

You might think it’s all roses to no longer be on that 9-5 grind, but sometimes not having those set hours can wreak havoc on your personal life. Just like you wouldn’t spend 12 hours a day at the office, you shouldn’t disregard those boundaries at home either. Set your work hours and stick by them. If your company has a certain shift that you do, keep that going.

This also includes working during work hours and not overcommitting to tasks just because you’re home. You don’t need to take on additional work just because you feel obliged to.

Have a specific space

Space is crucial to have too. You should have a designated room, table or corner for work. This helps you stay organized as well as keep your work area separate from the rest of the house. Your kids, partner, or parents will all know that, and so will you. Beyond that area, you’re in your home.

Set your boundaries

However, you also need to speak to your family and housemates. When you’re working, it’s not fair of them to expect you to come out for errands, chores, to chat or watch a movie. Work is work, and part of maintaining that balance is upholding those boundaries.

Take a break outside the house

Although this is not the time to be socializing, when you work from home, getting out of the house every other day can be life-changing. Grocery runs, jogs, a quick drink with a friend can help you separate your personal and professional life.

Hang out with family

Spend time around family and loved ones, even if it’s virtually, participating in activities together. Indoor game nights, cooking together, doing chores, watching movies, and also making time for other commitments such as couples counseling help retain a sense of normalcy. These are things that help you step away from work and focus energy on the people that matter.

Take out ‘me-time’

Me-time could be anything that’s just for you. Whether it’s a long bath, a workout that helps you break a sweat, a face mask or indulging in a treat, or tuning work and family out to continue with therapy for anxiety, you should focus on yourself. This will help you re-energize, compartmentalize, and work through feelings of stress and the sense of being overwhelmed.

Working from home has its benefits and its downsides. If you’re struggling to manage, get in touch with my office and schedule an appointment to help you achieve your routine better. I also specialize in couples therapy for working couples in Silicon Valley and the Bay Area.