You may be wondering how on earth I traveled 3 hours to work every day for 2 years and am still alive. Actually, I also don't know how I even survived that, to say the least. I have posted about that here.
When my previous company removed our free shuttle transportation, my travel time was even extended to 4 hours as public transport is not readily available. But that was the last straw. And so, I decided to move on with my life and look for a better alternative. Luckily for me, I found one in the form of work-from-home. I found one 5 months ago and I haven't looked back since.
When I started working remotely from home, I realized it was going to be a challenge to get used to this new lifestyle. After all, I was used to traveling long distances to work every single day. But I was determined to make it work and eventually I did. Now I hardly miss my old job.
There are 5 points that I am going to share with you guys on how I balance life and work. Actually, it is more of a life than work as I get to spend time with the people that really matter even while I am working. That is one of the things that I really love about working from home - there are no set working hours and I have the flexibility to manage my own time the way I like.
Going back to the 5 points that I mentioned earlier. Here they are;
Schedule your day ahead. This is something that I have been doing right from the start and it has helped me to keep myself on track and motivated to finish my work within the deadline I set for myself. This is to prevent your work from getting in the way to your personal time.
Prioritizing your task. This is a very important point to remember, especially for those of you who are just starting out and are feeling overwhelmed by all that you have on your plate. You may want to complete your task from the easiest to the more complicated one. Or finish those that are urgent. Prioritizing tasks will help you maximize your productivity and manage your time for some important personal stuff.
Staying organized. One thing that I find really useful is to keep a planner and schedule everything in there including appointments, deadlines, and my to-do-list for the day. This helps me keep track of everything that I have to do without forgetting anything in the process. And at the same time will help you organize your personal tasks from your work deliverables.
Setting of boundaries. Sometimes, when you are in a work-from-home setup, it is tempting to peek in your email from time to time even if it is your time-off. That is why setting of boundaries is important. It is about making a choice to prioritize the things that really matter. What I normally do is to have a separate area in the house intended for work. I also have a separate computer for work and for personal stuff.
Lastly, take a break. Create a downtime. When it is your lunch break, get out of your home office or work desk and go somewhere. Luckily for me, I have a lot of emotional support waiting for some cuddling every now and then. When I am a bit burned out, I go to my backyard and spend some time in my garden.
Now, there are a lot of ways to balance your life and work. These are just some of the things that work out for me. According to Betsy Jacobson, “Balance is not better time management, but better boundary management. Balance means making choices and enjoying those choices.”
I hope I was able to give you some helpful tips in achieving a healthy work-life balance at home. Remember, work-life balance is not just about separating your life from your work. It is also about enjoying your life even while you are working. After all, we work to live and not live to work.
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*banner photo and posters were edited using canva