While some are enjoying the perks of working at the comfort of their home, others are struggling to find build boundaries between their work and personal responsibilities. You have your kitchen as your canteen, your living room as your home office. So how can you maintain that cool lifestyle if you’re daily habits are now messed up?
Well, there are ways on how you can achieve a work-life balance while working from home. Here are some awesome tips to help you build a healthy relationship between your professional and personal life and improve your overall lifestyle.
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Have a morning routine not related to work
If you’re someone who includes checking your work email every morning, stop that right now. You need to start your day by doing things that make you feel relax. Take a morning shower while listening to your favorite podcast. Have your five-minute coffee ritual while reading a book. Have a short morning walk in your garden or the park and enjoy the fresh air. Do anything you love.
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Craft a dedicated home office space
It’s a must to separate spaces for play and work. You need an area where you can cozy up, do your creative hobbies, and enjoy your leisure time. And you need a home office with good lighting, free of distraction, and designed for complete productivity. If you have enough space in the house, it’s recommended to invest in a sit-stand desk. If you have limited space, a small work desk will do. Make sure to also keep your desk clean for better productivity and focus.
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Plan your work schedule ahead
On with the tricky part. Before you go to bed, plan your workday. Do you have a short morning video conference with your advertising team? Or, are you expecting a meeting with your business partner for the new market segmentation project? Maybe you need to follow up on the accounting report you submitted? Take note of every task so that you readily know how your day will go. You can create your schedule on paper using stick notes or your journal or using a productivity or scheduling app.
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Have post-workday activities
Just because you’re working from home does not mean you can extend your work hours five days a week. Spare time for yourself as well. Take a break from your work and focus on doing things that nourish your body and mind. It’s best to plan your post-workday activities. You can go for a run, workout, or even run necessary errands such as getting groceries. You should also take your days off seriously. Enjoy the weekend without losing productivity by attending a dance class, seeing a movie with friends, or organizing something at home. Anything to keep your mental health in great condition.
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Eat proper meals
You can’t possibly focus on balancing your professional and personal life if you’ll deprive your body of good, healthy food. Always take your lunch breaks on time and eat a proper meal. If you have spare time in the morning, it’ll be better to prepare your meal in advance. Step away from your fridge and avoid grazing on unhealthy snacks just so you can get past work hours.
Those chips and bagged popcorn are not good for your body and productivity. Always plan your healthy lunches before the week starts. Have a vegetarian quiche for Monday, an Avocado and salmon rice bowl on Tuesday, a Wednesday of Vietnamese-style chicken rolls, easy tacos for Thursday, and a tuna fish sandwich on Friday!
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Get dress for work
Working from home doesn’t mean you should wear your pajamas all day. Dressing up for work will help you set the right state of mind to work. If you have no scheduled board meetings online, you can switch into business casual that still expresses your personal style.
As stated in the book “The Psychology of Fashion” by Carolyn Mair, it’s important to wear something that makes us feel good. Experiment with your style, shop your own wardrobe, and try some creative combos. Choose the clothes that combine function and fashion. Dress for your mood. Feeling a bit down? Then put on that brand-new slip dress you bought or your favorite cashmere sweater.
Maintain a healthy lifestyle can be hard if you are constantly freaking out about structuring your professional and personal life. Take a breather and learn about prioritization, time and energy management, and organization with our tips above. Be productive with your work but always make time for fun activities outside it. That’s the only way you can achieve a healthy lifestyle!
