3 Ways to Find a Healthy Work/Life Balance Whilst Working from Home

*This is a collaborative post

Working from home has provided many families and single households with increased flexibility and freedom in regards to their working life. For many employers, productivity has increased too, making working from home an attractive option for many people across the country. However, this living arrangement doesn’t come without its challenges. When your home is also your office, it can be difficult to switch off and achieve a healthy work life balance. So, we’re sharing our top tips to help you separate work and play, allowing you to make the most of your free time.

Take a break straight after work

When there’s no commute or communal exit to trigger the end of your work day, it can be easy to let time slip away and work well into the evening. If you don’t set clear boundaries, you’ll suddenly look up and realise you’ve worked three hours overtime which is unlikely to be paid. So, set an alarm for when your official end time rolls around, and move away from your desk. Grab your comfiest trainers and walking socks, and get yourself outside to enjoy the Great British outdoors and soak up some well-deserved Vitamin D. When you sit inside all day, you’re missing out on the intake of this vitamin, which can be damaging to your health. Vitamin D helps to boost your immune system and your mood, so it’s essential you get outside and enjoy some fresh air. Maybe you prefer to read a book, or enjoy a podcast, or take an online yoga class. Whatever your activity of preference, it’s important to place a break right after you finish your professional day so that your brain has a chance to disengage with your work tasks.

Enjoy something social

The best way to ensure your work/life balance is a healthy one is to integrate regular social activities into your weekly schedule. Having a catch up with your friends or enjoying date night with your partner helps to keep work firmly in its place rather than letting it dominate your life. Social activities don’t need to cost a fortune, and they don’t need to require huge amounts of effort either. If you’re feeling energetic, then enjoy a fancy meal out in town with your closest friends. However, if you’re more of an indoor person, invite some pals round for a movie night, or arrange a video call catch up so that people don’t have to travel. You could even throw in a quiz or a virtual viewing party to introduce some variety to your calls. Setting social commitments in the evenings forces you to close the computer and give your brain a rest from all of your work tasks. If you have social plans at 5:30, it’s impossible to work late. Setting these boundaries will undoubtedly allow you to create a balanced work/home life.

Create a specific work environment

When you’re working from home, it’s easy to blur the lines between work and play because your environment is the same for both. That’s why it’s critical that you allocate a specific area of your home to work tasks, avoiding your rest areas like the bedroom or your living room. Instead, choose a certain room or area of your home to host your desk. This means that you can physically walk away from work once you finish, just as you would do in the office. If your home isn’t big enough for this, use notebooks and stationary to set a work environment. Then, ensure you maintain the routine of packing this up each day to signal to your brain it’s time to exit work mode. And that’s it! Three easy steps that you can start to implement into your routines to ensure your work/life balance remains exactly that, balanced.