5 Work From Home Best Practices

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While working remotely has several benefits and sounds like a life of luxury, it also requires discipline and boundaries in order for you to be successful.

With the freedom to work from home, it’s easy to get sidetracked by other people in your house, chores you need to get done, or being able to leave your house at any time.

It’s going to be important for you to build a system for yourself that keeps you focused during the day.

In this article, we are going to build a framework to begin implementing a few work from home best practices.

5 Work From Home Best Practices and Boundaries:

1. Have a Schedule for everything:

One of the most significant challenges of working from home for some is that no one is looking over your shoulder anymore to make sure you’re getting your work done.

You are responsible for creating your schedule and sticking to it.

Being out of a traditional office setting, I’ve caught myself doing the dishes, doing the laundry, or doing other chores in the middle of the day.

It’s easy to get distracted when pretty much your entire to-do list, work and chores, all happen inside the same four walls.

Setting aside time that is strictly separate from your work time to do chores, relax, eat, and spend time with family and friends will help manage your time and prioritize work tasks during work hours.

If I don’t prioritize all the other things I need to get done at other times, I’ll inevitably end up doing it during the day.

I’m currently using an hourly daily planner to help me plan out my day from minute to minute.

Am I perfect at sticking to my schedule – definitely not!

However, the second I stop paying attention to it is the second I’m off my routine and distracted.

It works! It helps keep me focused on my work and personal goals.

2. Separate Office Space from Living SpacE (if you can):

Another work from home best practice is having a designated office space separate from your living and sleeping space.

Doing this helps you focus on work and creates a clear boundary between work and home life.

Focusing on minimizing distractions from household activities and avoiding associating work with your living space is crucial.

However, not everyone’s space is conducive to a home office completely separate from their living space, so what do we do in this case?

I currently live in a one-bedroom apartment and love hosting friends or my boyfriend so my desk is in my bedroom.

Prioritizing my living and kitchen space for guests is important to me but it’s hard spending most of my time in one room.

I go to sleep, wake up, and work all in the same room.

There are additional boundaries I set for myself such as not sitting or lying on my bed during work hours.

I also use an under desk treadmill that helps me stay up and active throughout the day that helps me mentally separate sleep from work.

3. Log Off at 5:00 P.M.:

Turn off your email. Turn off your work messages.

Working from home probably means you’re working in different time zones from your co-workers, so ignore that 7 P.M. slack message – you’ll respond in the morning.

You’re getting paid for specific hours so don’t work outside of those hours!

On the flip side, If you know your co-worker is in a different time zone and logged off for the day, don’t be that person who sends the late message.

Just don’t.

I know we’re all guilty of it.

Type your message out and schedule it for the next day.

It’s easy to blur the lines between work and personal time and convince yourself you can just work a little bit longer.

Sometimes it’s inevitable.

When you take the transition of commuting out of your day, it can be challenging to switch off from work.

To maintain a healthy balance, it’s important to set boundaries around your work hours and stick to them.

Prioritize your downtime to avoid burnout.

Your employer and co-workers need you pouring from a full cup.

Allow yourself time to recharge and rejuvenate for the next workday.

4. Actually Take a Sick Day if Your Sick:

When I’m sick, I know I feel guilty for taking time off to focus on my health because I’m already at home.

I’ve definitely been there. On my laptop and dying from my bed.

Speaking to you and me both – we’ve got to take sick days when we feel unwell to prioritize our physical and mental health.

This helps you recover faster by getting the rest you need.

By taking care of your health, you can maintain a productive and healthy work-life balance.

5. Communicate Your Work Schedule with Household Members:

The final work from home best practice is communication.

Whether it’s your kids, spouse, or roommates, it’s essential to communicate your work hours to those living in your home.

This ensures that they understand when you’re available for non-work-related activities and when you need to focus on work.

By communicating your work schedule, you can minimize interruptions and distractions, allowing you to maintain your productivity and focus.

It also mitigates frustration and misunderstanding about when you are and aren’t available.

Getting a sign for your door when you’re in meetings lets people in your home know you can’t be interrupted.

Establishing work from home best practices and boundaries is important to maintaining a healthy work-life balance, prioritizing your personal life, and avoiding burnout.

Having a routine, a separate workspace, logging off at a set time, taking sick days, and communicating your work times are just a few ways to achieve this balance.

By implementing these best practices, you can enjoy the flexibility of working from home in a healthy way.

What to read next: Is a Work From Home Job Right for You? and 10 Tips for Crafting a Remote Work Resume

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