How to Find Balance in a Fully-Remote Working Life
When you're working remotely 100% of the time, a work/life balance can be challenging to maintain. However, there are things you can do that makes working from home indefinitely an absolute joy without affecting your personal life. From setting your own schedule to separating your working space from your living space, here's how to find balance in a fully-remote working life.
Set a schedule & be disciplined with it
It can be easy when working from home 100% of the time to go overboard. It's tempting to clock on earlier or to work just that bit longer to get the job done. It can also be all too easy to skip lunch, not out of choice, but just because you don't think to check the time. In the office, times are laid out for you, but when you're working from home, you need to set those times out yourself.
Set reminders throughout the day that tells you when to have a coffee break, when to go on lunch and when to clock off. Stick to the schedule you've laid out if you're looking to have the perfect work/life balance when working remotely.
Take short breaks throughout the day
It can be a long day when you work remotely from home. There are are no distractions, so it can be easy to get caught up in the work you're doing. Sometimes, I forget to even clock off for lunch, depending on what it is I'm writing about (I'm a copywriter by trade).
So it's important that you're taking some time out to gather your thoughts and take a break from looking at a screen. Don't be away from your desk for too long though. You still have a job to be doing. When I need a break, I will use that time to make a drink.
By the time the kettle has boiled and my coffee is made, I feel refreshed enough to go back with a clearer head. This is especially important if you're a writer, like me. I often find I'm more productive once I've had a bit of time away from the computer. But as I've said, it only takes about 5 minutes and I'm good to go again.
Make lunchtime or after-work plans
When it comes to working from home 100% of the time, it's important that you carve out some time that isn't spent in the house. During my lunch hour, I like to get out of the house, whether it's to run an errand, to go on a short countryside walk (as we live close to the countryside fields) or simply enjoy a coffee and a biscuit outside in our garden.
Also making some plans for after work is essential. whether you nip out for some shopping, enjoy a long evening walk in the autumn sunshine or go out and see family or friends, having something to look forward to that's not in the house is a great way of balancing a 100% remote working life.
Work somewhere that's separate from the rest of your living space
Don't be tempted to work from your bed or living room. Instead, have a designated space that's only used when you're working from home. In our house, we use an office space that's dedicated to simply working from home. We don't use that room over the weekend or for any other purpose other than working.
That helps to keep our other living areas separate from our working life. Not only does this help to put us into a working frame of mind, but it also means that we can fully switch off from work when we're not working. It also doesn't serve as a reminder.
For example, over the weekend, we're never reminded of the fact that we have to start work again on Monday. Instead, we don't give work a second thought until Sunday night comes around and we have to pop an alarm on for the next day. It helps to keep everything completely separate from the rest of the house and that was our aim from the start.
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I hope you enjoyed this blog post and that you found it somewhat useful? Let me know in the comments below how you like to keep your work/life balance if you work remotely 100% of the time and we'll see you again very soon with some brand new content!
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