If you telecommute or go to school online, you might find it helpful to get work done at a local library, coffee shop, or cohab community for students or telecommuters. When your work is done, you can physically leave the environment, which might help you to transition to your personal life. If you have to work inside of your home, then do your best to keep a separate space for working. This might be a home office, or just a specific spot at your kitchen table. Don’t stress if you occasionally work someplace else. If you work in a traditional office, make sure that you find a relaxing way to transition from work to personal life when you finish up for the day. For example, you might use your commute home to listen to music or a book on tape, or stop by the gym for a quick workout, or call up a friend and chat for a bit.
Create a list of the most significant aspects of your life. Of course, you might include items like family, romantic relationships, work, and spirituality. You might also include volunteering, staying active, maintaining a social circle or other passions. Review your list and rank these items starting with #1 as the most important, #2 as the second most important and so on. Your rankings will show where your priorities lie. That way you can be sure to make an effort to incorporate these top priorities into your daily and weekly schedules. [1] X Research source
It can be most helpful to develop a weekly schedule involving all the constants like work, classes, church, and social activities with other one-time events. Then, each night before map out a daily to-do list of the individual tasks you need to get done based on your priorities. [2] X Research source For your daily schedule, highlight the three most important tasks you need to get done each day (aside from actually going to work or going to school). [3] X Research source These might be professional items like working on a presentation or personal items like going to the dentist or your daughter’s ballet recital. You may even create two separate lists if this one is to constricting - one with three major tasks for work/school and one with three major tasks for home. As long as you have accomplished these 3 to 6 tasks each day, you will have been productive.
One method to overcome procrastination is to write out your reasons for enrolling in school or being in a particular career path and so on. For example, if you want to help people, you can complete your assignments with the intrinsic purpose that they are helping you reach that goal. Keep this list in your work space for when you are feeling unmotivated. Another way to beat procrastination for getting things done is to break larger projects down. Doing so makes the overall project seem less daunting and increases motivation as you complete the smaller parts.
Focus on important rather than urgent tasks - urgent tasks are reactive-based, important tasks are proactive-based Turn off the notifications on your phone or computer Create a clean and clutter-free work space Put your phone away Close any programs you’re not actively using Get water, snacks or visit the bathroom during routine breaks to minimize physical interruptions
For example, maybe you are working overtime every week and never get to go out with your significant other. You can make the special effort of lighting candles during dinner or choosing a film to watch on the couch one evening. This won’t take up too much of your time and it may prevent your partner from feeling neglected. You may be able to pass off large projects or split the time with another coworker to ease your workload and make more time for relationships and family. If you can’t afford to work less, plan to spend your lunch hour in the park with your family or bring your family to the work picnic.
For example, if you have young children, then arranging your work schedule around your kids’ schedules may be necessary. Or, if you are the primary caretaker of your children and you work from home, then you may need to put work aside and take a break whenever one of your kids needs something. It is also possible that work may have to take precedent over your personal life sometimes. For example, if you work as an on-call healthcare provider, then you may sometimes need to cancel something in your personal life to do your job.
To counteract stress and nurture your body be sure to get involved in some type of physical activity several times per week. It can be joining a company sports team, jogging around the block with your partner, or visiting a local gym. In addition to exercise, you can combat stress by consuming several balanced meals each day, getting adequate sleep, and pursuing your outside interests. [6] X Research source
Try treating yourself with a short break to engage in a hobby after completing a significant amount of work. Another way to shield your passions is to schedule them in. Work your pottery class or book club into your calendar just as you would with professional projects or family obligations.
Show that you understand the significance of the request by saying something like “It sounds like a great opportunity, but. . . " Give a brief explanation, such as “Honestly, this is a bit outside my area of expertise” or “I have too many deadlines approaching. " Recommend an alternative. For example, you might say “I can’t, but I think I know someone who would be a great fit”.
Do you regularly get called away from home for work? Does your boss drop assignments on your desk at the last minute? Are you financially able to work a bit less? If the answers to most of these are “yes”, work may have been intruding on your life, but it looks like you can afford to talk to your boss about cutting down your hours or workload. If you are a working mother, cutting down on your work hours may be the key to feeling more content. Research shows that women are generally happier when they cut back on work for the sake of meeting family needs. [9] X Research source Does your partner or spouse frequently interrupt your work day for non-emergency family or home issues? Is your work performance suffering because you stay up all night partying with friends or your partner? Do you have to leave work to handle errands or do excessive amounts of housework? If you said “yes” to any of these, your home life may be stifling your capabilities at work. You need to decide if you need to set boundaries with individuals in your home that often intrude on your career.
Many people choose to use LinkedIn for their career or academic connections and Facebook or Instagram for friends and family. [10] X Research source
Find out what the guidelines are about such matters. Also, be sure that any personal data, such as contacts, photos, and music are appropriately backed up.
Make the choice to unplug for a few hours each day. Or, choose a short window to engage with your friends or followers online, then log off for the remainder of the day.
Don’t let your work hours creep into your personal time. When it is time to stop for the day, stop working, shut down your laptop, and step away from your work space. Try to set work hours that work with your personal life. For example, try to avoid working on the weekends if you know that there are things you will want to do.
Try getting up about 30 to 60 minutes before you want to start working for the day so that you can get dressed for work. Make sure that you change out of your work clothes when it is time to relax. For example, you can switch to pajamas or your favorite jeans and a t-shirt.
Set a time for your lunch break to start and end every day. For example, you might agree to take lunch from 12:00 to 12:30 each day. Ask a family member or significant other to remind you when it is time for your lunch break. If you are worried about forgetting to take a lunch break, then ask one of your friends or family members to come get you when it is time for a break.
Try to prevent yourself from doing any housework or anything that is not work related while you are on the clock. If you notice a household chore that you want to complete, write it down on a notepad and save it for the end of your work day. Keep in mind that everyone is different. For example, if you find that folding laundry is a soothing way for you to spend a break, then go for it!
Consider doing something social at the end of each day. Working from home can be isolating, so it is important for you to find ways to interact with other people. You can do this by talking to your significant other, meeting up with some friends for coffee, or taking an aerobics class after work.
You may also need to keep some odd hours to balance your personal and professional life as a parent working from home. For example, if you have young kids at home with you when you are working, then you may need to work an hour or two after your kids go to sleep or after your partner returns home in the evening. [20] X Research source Make sure you ask your employer or client if it’s okay if you work on a more flexible schedule to accommodate your child’s needs. Flexibility might not be an option if your employer expects you on the clock between certain hours every day. However, if you’re a contractor, you might be allowed to work when you can throughout the day or night.
Consider what works best for you and your babysitter. For example, maybe your parents can come over to the house, or you can drop your kids off for a playdate with grandma a few times a week. A trustworthy babysitter can also be a great option if you can afford to pay someone to watch your kids. If you do not have a good regular babysitter, then ask friends and family if they know anyone.
A busy box is filled with a variety of toys and activities that are meant to keep your child entertained while you work. For example, a busy box might include, crayons, clay, a coloring book, stickers, puzzles, and other toys for your child. Prepare busy boxes the night before and place them near your work space. You can use an empty shoe box or other small box and select from your child’s toys and other items to create the box. You might even throw in a surprise now and then, such as a new coloring book or a new package of stickers. You can even create themes for busy boxes. For example, if you want to teach your child about colors, you can make boxes with collections of red items, blue items, etc. Or, you might create a theme for a busy box based on one of your child’s favorite movies, books, shows, or characters.
You might also need to learn how to talk to your kids and play with them while you work. Being able to work and engage with your kids at the same time is a skill, but you can develop this skill with practice. If you have a backyard with a play area for your kids or a nearby park with a playground, then you might even consider taking your work outside for an afternoon. [22] X Research source
