Working from Home and Getting the Work-Life Balance Right

The idea of working from home sounds great to many. Some envision the pleasures of lie-ins, working your own hours, escaping the pressures of a regimented office and relaxing in your own personalized space.

Anyone who has ever worked from home will be able to tell you that it is not all plain sailing. It can be a struggle to get motivated when sat in your home environment, with five hours of work dragging out into seven as you become distracted by the TV and/or house calls.

You also have the added distractions of domestic life which can help you procrastinate.  Should I just get that pile of clothes washed? Washing the dishes won’t take too long. Eventually, all of these small tasks add up, and you end up losing an hour of the day on something you wouldn’t be doing if you were going out to work each day.

Another aspect of working from home many people struggle with is the ability to leave their work behind them at the end of the day. Having the switch off point is more difficult when you haven’t established proper work and home boundaries. This is why setting up a proper office space is critical for both productivity and getting your work-lifebalance right.

Home working doesn’t suit everybody, particularly those who find it hard to be self-motivated, which is why getting your office space set up appropriately is really important. This will help you take care of your daily tasks and not waste time on unrelated activities. You absolutely must have a separate area set up for work, otherwise your efficiency will diminish. Working from the kitchen table or in any shared living space simply won’t work.

The best possible solution is to set up an office space outside of your home. If you have an outdoor building that you can convert, then this can become an ideal office space. All you will need to set up is an electrical supply, your office equipment, and lighting, including outdoor wall pack lights if you’re going to be working when it gets dark.

Be sure to set your desk and laptop/PC up appropriately to help you stay comfortable and focused. When you work for an organization in their building, they are responsible for providing the appropriate chairs for good posture and avoid back problems. If you are working from an office at home, then you are responsible for keeping away those aches, and while you might not feel the impact of bad posture straight away, it will cause you problems further down the line.

Do some research regarding how to set up your office space to protect your back, neck and eyes. An office with natural light is also beneficial as relying on artificial light can cause depression, fatigue and anxiety. Natural light will make you feel happier and more productive as your endorphins soar.