{"id":507,"date":"2020-04-29T08:55:52","date_gmt":"2020-04-29T08:55:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/onlinecreatorinstitute.com\/?p=507"},"modified":"2020-08-21T04:07:54","modified_gmt":"2020-08-21T04:07:54","slug":"work-life-balance-at-home","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onlinecreatorinstitute.com\/work-life-balance-at-home\/","title":{"rendered":"How to maintain a healthy work-life balance and work productively from home: A step by step guide."},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The rapidly spreading Coronavirus has moved the majority of employees, myself included, to our homes; where everyone seems to be struggling with a similar problem: how to work productively from home while respecting a healthy work-life balance.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019m used to working from home, and in doing so I have chopped and changed, and tinkered and tailored with my approach to ensure I work the most productive and efficient I can. In the wake of this ongoing mass movement from the work office to the home office for almost every white-collar worker – I have decided to share with you my step-by-step guide to getting more done working from home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Separating your work from your home life.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

This is arguably the most important aspect of moving your work into home with you. The environment in which you work is one of the most important influences when it comes to your productivity and functionality. This remains the same when you work from home – except people often find it very hard to separate their work life from their home life when they share the same space. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Creating and allocating a dedicated and exclusive space for working allows you to both physically and mentally distinguish the two and help keep one from intruding on the other. Having one room or space that mimics an office you would usually work can be beneficial. This actively engages your brain, and with a little fabricated belief in your own narrative; you can convince yourself you are in your usual office – kilometres away from your home and the abundant distractions that reside there. It\u2019s up to you to maintain that separation and boundary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Personally I find this is immensely powerful in allowing me to be switched on when its time to work – and when I leave the office; switch off and relax. You need to be able to relax after a long or stressful day of work in order to keep fresh and stay healthy. Enforcing that distancing and division of work from home life consistently overtime will be hugely beneficial for your productivity and to have your home remain as an essential important place of relaxation and comfort. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What should I have in my home office to best allow me to work productively?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Your home office needs to facilitate and encourage productivity while remaining simple and uncluttered. Taking the time to design and create a balanced space that allows access to everything you need to work means you can stay focused for longer. The essence of this space is dependant on you not having to get up and get something from another room every 5-10 minutes and breaking your work environment, so it is critical that you have all your resources and necessary equipment available on you. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ahead of time, I will even prepare a drink and snacks before and bring them into my workspace so that I don\u2019t have to leave and break my focus an hour or two into a productive session.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, you don\u2019t want this set up to come at the expense of your ability to think clearly. Studies show that clutter<\/a> can deteriorate the brains\u2019 ability to focus clearly on a task, so it\u2019s vital that a balance can be achieved. Investing in a cabinet and necessary storage equipment can yield fantastic results to ensure this. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Structuring your workday to promote productivity and balance.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Before you start your work from home, it\u2019s important to prepare and plan what your day is going to look like and consist of. Asking a handful of simple questions at the beginning of your day can significantly help you in visualising, preparing, and executing your day effectively. Questions like:<\/p>\n\n\n\n