How to Separate Personal & Professional Environments While Working From Home
As we head into August, we start to gear up for that time of year where vacations come to an end and “real life” starts to pick back up again. This can be a struggle for some, as leaving behind those relaxing, “dog days of summer” behind is not always an easy transition. Some of us are getting ready to go back to school, back to work after a summer hiatus, or are getting ready for our kids to go back to school and their regularly scheduled activities.
In this day and age, a lot of things have become virtual, which has its pros and cons. A lot of us have gotten used to working remotely or attending classes remotely, and we have forgotten what it is like to actually go into an office or into a real classroom. With this being our new reality, it is important to know how to keep our work/school environment and our personal living environment as separate as possible.
When we work and attend class from home, it is easy to get our personal lives and our professional lives intertwined. This can make it difficult to concentrate and accomplish our work goals for the day, especially when there are so many distractions around us at all times. Some thrive off of this, but others struggle to focus and find the motivation to get things done when they are not in the “office” or “classroom” environment. And when you work from home, it can feel like the “office” is inescapable.
This can make it difficult to really know when to stop working at the end of the day when you don’t need to get in your car and drive back home. Luckily, there are a few different things that you can try that can help separate these environments and encourage you to move and get outside!
One of the most important tips is to work in a setting that feels most comfortable for you, even if you don’t have the space in your home for a “home office”. Purchasing a small desk and chair can be enough to create your workspace, while keeping the rest of your home separate. It is important to not work directly from your bed, even if this sometimes seems like the more “comfortable” option. When we work from our beds, this can make it difficult to concentrate on work/school during the day, and then it can become difficult to relax and fall asleep at night. We begin to associate our beds with both work and sleep, and then the separation between the two becomes muddled. It is healthier to reserve your bed for sleep and relaxation, while having a separate space that is designated to work and school, such as a desk/chair. Having this designated workspace will make it easier to focus and concentrate on your tasks at hand, and it will make it easier to jump on any virtual meetings or classes that you may need to attend during the day.
While sometimes it is healthy to have a change of scenery while working, such as working outside on a nice day, it is important to have a specific area in your home that you associate with your professional responsibilities. If you have young children at home, it is that much more important to have a space for these responsibilities so that you don’t have that added distraction throughout the day as you work on accomplishing important tasks for your job or your class.
Another important tip is to remember to get up and move and get outside throughout the day. While working from home, it is easy to forget that we do need breaks throughout the day. A lot of people tend to feel guilty taking a break because we are already at home, but just because we are in our home environments doesn’t make moving and getting outside any less important.
A helpful hint is to try writing out all of the tasks that you want to accomplish that day, and schedule breaks throughout the day to accommodate your work schedule. For example, once you’ve accomplished three tasks, give yourself a stretch/exercise break to get your body moving and the blood flowing. Try a quick at-home yoga class, or go outside for a brief walk or jog to clear your mind. This will improve your productivity and lower your stress levels, making it easier to focus on the rest of your to-do list. A lot of people also find that writing to-do lists are helpful, as it is a rewarding feeling to be able to cross things off the list and move onto the next task.
Lastly, remember to not be too hard on yourself! It is easy to be hard on yourself while working from home, as it can seem like there are a million other things to do on top of working and going to school.
After all, there are only so many hours in the day and we can’t always get every single thing crossed off our list in one day. Stick to the tasks that are high priority, and work from there. Focus on your physical and mental health, and go easy on yourself. And remember- we are all in this together! Contact us at Arancia Physical Therapy to learn more!