Top
Get the latest tips & news right in your inbox.

Healthy boundaries while working from home: 5 tips

For many of us in technological fields working online from home is business as usual. It has a lot of great perks but also challenges, one of the most usual being a blurred line between work-time and personal-time.

Regardless of the pandemic I am always setting clear boundaries in many areas of life. Here are my 5 tips for setting healthy boundaries in your work-life while working from home.

  1. Set up a an inspiring and comfortable space to work. It shouldn’t be in your bedroom, unless there is absolutely no other choice. This is to clearly indicate where you work – not cook, not sleep, but work.
  2. Go for a morning walk or run before signing online. Breath in that fresh air, recognize how your body and mind feels today. On your way back home think you are arriving to the office. Likewise, take a promenade after lunch, or bicycle around your neighborhood. Whatever you choose, stretch that beautiful body of yours!
  3. Book virtual coffee breaks with colleagues from time to time. Video on, of course!
  4. My favorite tip of all – mark a shift out of your work time. Have a little ritual after work to switch the gear and tune into your after-work mode. It can be a meditation, workout or something as simple like a cup of tea in the balcony. Use this time to gently turn all the thoughts about work off. When you are done, stay done!
  5. Be up to date about the latest news but mindfully choose when to read them. At least one hour before going to bed and one hour before starting to work is meant to gently get your body and mind ready for that specific activity. Don’t read emails or news then, otherwise it can easily distract your thoughts to the fields of anxiety. Which will not improve your sleep or work quality, to say the least.

And think about the following:

You are not working from home. You are at home during the crisis trying to make it work.

Neil Head

I love this quote. It is completely understandable that your dog might bark or cat might crawl around, even kids can unpredictably enter your dedicated work space. It is ok! You are at home, after all. Make the best of it, but don’t judge yourself or your colleagues when distractions happen. We are all doing our best giving the circumstances!

About Anna Balciune

Anna is a certified career and life coach and mentor for young women in traditionally male-dominated fields such as STEM. She empowers young women to create an enjoyable career that fits their desired lifestyle, to nurture femininity and shine with confidence, by taking consistent action towards inspiring goals. She is a connectivity strategy & portfolio manager, analytics lead, and a board member of labor unions for graduate professionals at a global telco, as well as a wife and a mum. Anna spent her last decade studying & working in several EU countries, and is now based in Sweden.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

What’s Good