Work-Life Balance in a Remote Job: Is it Possible?

It is usually thought that working from home is more advantageous and, thus, easier to reach a work-life balance. The pluses include not going out of the house and not spending long hours in traffic, spending more time with family and friends, having more time for household chores, and so on. Now, let’s take a moment to consider all these factors. Is it good to have all these opportunities at the same time, at the same place? As an employee who works from home, my answer would be No.

When you go to the office and work in person, it is true that you may stay long hours on the way to work, it is true that you may not have as much time to spend with your loved ones and so one and so forth. However, one thing is clear: working in the office provides more opportunities to concentrate on your work and achieve higher quality.

When we work from home, we are to be present in all areas of both home and work. Our minds have to think about summarizing the assigned tasks while cooking, or vice versa: to think about what to prepare for our kids’ meals while working.

Therefore, those who work from home should strive to create a perfect balance between work and personal life to avoid mixing everything, becoming fatigued, and compromising the quality in both areas.

Establish Your Separate Workspace

Establishing a personal workspace is the first thing a person who works from home should do. If your house allows, it would be a good idea to have your own office at home. If you cannot afford a separate room, you can set up a corner at the very end of a dining table for your comfort. This area will help you concentrate more on your work and will isolate you from your household duties while working.

Start Your Day With Non-work Rituals

If you start your day with job-related activities like sitting in front of your notebook, checking emails, or contacting coworkers or consumers, this means you don’t have a healthy balance between your work and personal life. It’s a good idea to start your day with something enjoyable, like a cup of coffee with your loved ones or a stroll outside after taking a shower. This type of morning ritual will help you feel relaxed before the start of your demanding workday.

A Schedule That Has a Start And End Time is a Must

As a remote worker, it would be a good idea to adopt the following slogan: ‘If I couldn’t finish this task today, I won’t be able to complete it today anymore. I need to make time for my well-being as well, so I’ll finish it tomorrow”. Your productivity and general well-being depend on you being able to strike a healthy balance between working on your tasks and looking after yourself. Here are some tips that will help you adapt the above slogan more easily:

Prioritize tasks strategically. You should first focus on the tasks that are the most important and the deadlines of which are the closest. This will help you avoid being overwhelmed and maintain a better work-life balance.
Set reasonable goals. When you set your goals, understand exactly what you want to do. Be honest about your expectations. Do not assume; evaluate your responsibilities and list out those which you can complete right away.
Use time planning. You can fulfill deadlines, avoid wasting time, and—most importantly—improve your professional image by managing your time effectively.
Acknowledge your abilities. Always being perfect can finally lead to exhaustion and burnout. Consequently, recognizing your true abilities will help you prevent overload and fatigue. Besides, if you’re overworked, you may need to directly remind yourself that your work isn’t always excellent.
Plan rest periods. You’ll stay more refreshed and avoid burnout if you take frequent breaks during the workday.
Practice saying “no”. Saying “yes” is so much easier than saying “no”. But you’ll discover that your productivity improves significantly when you decline a job that is too large or not right for you.

Make You Believe

Get ready for your remote work the same way when you go out to your office. Make your subconscious believe that every morning you are going to work, rather than working from home by setting an alarm, having a shower, eating breakfast, drinking a cup of coffee, getting dressed, organizing your documents, etc. Being mentally prepared for the workday is another crucial and psychological point in achieving a healthy work-life balance.

Don’t Work On Weekends

In recent times, working on weekends and even after the working hours end has become very common. People try to get the rhythm of this fast-paced world and try to earn more for their families and themselves. However, we also have to think about having rest on weekends in order to refuel our energy, not to lose our well-being, and start the week with fresh ideas and inspiration.

Share The Experience

It is no secret that millions of people all around the world were forced to abruptly shift to working remotely due to COVID-19. More than half of all American workers now work from home, a change that has taken place during the past three years. This means that these people should have adjusted to the new normal, creating a new strategy for their work-life balance. So, if you are new as a remote worker and want to keep a healthy balance between work and life, you are not alone in your difficult phase of life. Thus, it is always helpful to share the experiences of your close ones who have lived the situation and take their pieces of advice.

In a Nutshell

As we can conclude from the paragraphs above, the most important step in creating a work-life balance is prioritization, which entails time management, planning and scheduling, setting reasonable goals, acknowledging your abilities, and so on. Poor work-life balance can negatively impact the quality of your work and, first of all, your well-being. Therefore, those who work from home should organize their day to achieve maximum productivity while still being close to their families.