Boundaries, balance, and the work-from-home life
If working from home has blurred your boundaries, here’s how to reclaim your time and energy without sacrificing productivity.
Ever found yourself replying to Slack messages while cooking (and nearly burning) dinner? Telling your kids to hold on for a minute while you just send an email? Or realising it’s 8pm and you’re still at your laptop because… well, your desk is your kitchen table?
Or perhaps you’ve found yourself distracted on a Zoom call because you can hear the washing machine beeping, or put off finishing that report so you can pop out for coffee with your friend?
Whether you are a hybrid worker at home a couple of days a week, a fully remote employee or run your own small business, working from home has plenty of benefits. But it also has some pitfalls, and if you’re not careful, the lines between home and work can quickly become blurred.
When that happens, it can begin to impact not only your productivity, but also your well-being if you are stressed about not doing well or being present in either your work or home life.
Here’s how to navigate the working-from-home life.
Top tips to keep work in its place (even if your office is the kitchen table)
⏰ Set clear working hours - If you are working remotely as an employee, your employer might set those hours for you. But if you have flexibility or you work for yourself, then it helps to create your own office hours. Communicate these to your work colleagues, so they know when you aren’t working. And tell your friends and family too, so they know when you are working and understand why you might not be able to pop out for that coffee.
🖥️ Create a dedicated workspace - If you have a spare room you can set up as a home office, great. If not, dedicate a specific space in a room as your “work zone.” This helps your brain associate that space with focus—and makes it easier to leave work behind when you step away. It also stops you from losing important work documents all around the house or them accidentally getting used for a shopping list or drawing paper!
👔 Get dressed for work - You don’t need to put on formal clothes, but changing out of your pyjamas at the very least helps signal that it’s time for work, not lounging.
🚶🚲 Fake a commute - While the commute to and from the office can be frustrating, it does create a time to shift your mind from home to work and vice versa. If you are just working down the corridor, faking a commute - something as simple as a quick walk around the block after breakfast and before you start work- can recreate that space.
🧹 🧽 Limit household distractions - If you are working for an employer, then you really shouldn’t be putting the washing on while you are meant to be working. But it can still be tempting to get a few household chores done while you are working. Limit those distractions by creating a schedule for house-related tasks too and finding time for them outside of work hours, or during your breaks.
If you work for yourself, then you can be a bit more flexible in how you balance work and home tasks, but making a plan can still help you stop one side from taking over too much.
☕️ 💧 🌱 Schedule breaks - When you’re home, it’s easy to lose track of time and sit for hours without moving. Add short breaks to your calendar, even just five minutes to stretch, refill your water, or get some fresh air. Take a lunch break rather than eating at your desk (or the kitchen table) while you work.
📵 Use tech boundaries - Turn off work notifications on your phone after hours or use “Do Not Disturb” during breaks to give yourself real downtime.
📄 🚶Have a shutdown ritual - Create a routine to wrap up your day: review tomorrow’s to-do list, close browser tabs, tidy your workspace, and power down devices. This helps you mentally shift from “work mode” to “home mode.” You could add another short walk to fake a commute home too if you want.
😃 Stay connected - Remote work can feel isolating.. Schedule virtual coffee chats, online coworking sessions, or casual check-ins with colleagues to maintain connection without overextending yourself.
🏠 📆 Consider getting help - If you run your own business and find that work is taking up so much time that you never get to your home-based tasks, then consider what you might be able to outsource or get help with. That might be work-related tasks like simple admin, or home tasks like a regular cleaner or doing online shopping and getting it delivered.
It’s okay to set boundaries
If you find it hard to switch off because you feel guilty, remember: Boundaries are not barriers to productivity -they help you be productive in a sustainable way. By protecting your downtime, you ensure you can bring your best energy to your work and your life outside it.