In today’s world, every day is the same for most: you wake up, work from home, go to bed. This routine has most of us stuck in our homes for way too many hours of the day.
To maintain our mental well-being and productivity, we must find ways to separate work time and personal time even though they are so connected.
The work-from-home (WFH) life definitely has its benefits because you have no commute, you can get extra sleep, and have meals at home.
Many of us have become accustomed to this new lifestyle and enjoy it, while others feel stuck. It is no easy task being home all day, every day. But we must look for the positives in everything.
While the WFH life can be comfortable, it’s no secret that it can encourage our lazy tendencies. When we feel comfortable, we sometimes get complacent.
This can mean staying in our comfy-cozy PJs all day, working from our beds, staying sedentary and not making time to interact with anyone. While this is a great time for a reset, our tendencies can end up hindering our workflow and even our mental well-being.
As humans, we need stimulation. We need to move during the day for mental clarity, set our intentions for optimal productivity and interact with people for our social wellness. We must find a work-life balance.
We hear this all of the time, but what is a work-life balance?
This means separating your work life from your home life, especially when they are so intertwined. It’s important to have this balance because it’s vital to achieve high levels of productivity, maintaining relationships and tackling our mental wellness.
Here are some ways to maximize our work-from-home capabilities.
1. Get dressed every morning.
Who doesn’t love being in the comfort of our own homes — most do! Rolling out of bed and logging onto work, it could not get easier.
However, when you do this, your mind is not separating relaxing time from productive time. If you stay in your pajamas all day, our minds are not fully focused on work.
It is important to get yourselves ready every morning. For some, this means putting on a pair of work pants and a blazer, while for others, it’s a comfy matching set — whatever works for you. Doing this can help you set up for a day of productivity.
2. Set up a designated workspace.
This is a huge one. Working from our beds is definitely cozy, but not at all ideal for our work and for our minds.
According to a Harvard Business Review book, “Unless you are careful to maintain boundaries, you may start to feel like you’re always at work and losing a place to come home to.”
Setting up a designated work space can look different for everyone. For some, it’s in a home office and for others it’s at the kitchen table. Wherever it is, getting work done will be a lot more efficient and better for our mind this way.
3. Move your body.
Sitting down all day long is not ideal for our bodies. In the WFH life, we are more sedentary than ever because most of us don’t even leave our homes! Moving our bodies is so important. It provides mental clarity and allows for even greater levels of productivity.
You can start your day with a walk, take a gym break or go for a nighttime run. Do what you love to do and what makes you feel your best. Get up and get out, give your body a break.
4. Save time for social interaction.
As humans, social interaction is absolutely vital because we need and crave communication and it is essential for our well-being. When working from home, it is sometimes hard to leave time for social interaction, but it is so important.
Set up a time during your work day to take a break and call a family member or friend. This will allow for a mental break and cultivate a sense of connection with your loved ones.
Reflect & Refresh 