5 tips for separating work from personal life

Creating a clear separation between your work life and your personal life can be quite the challenge, especially if you’re working from home while in temporary housing. But without that separation, you’ll find yourself burnt out and unhappy. Here are some tips for how to create boundaries so you can have a more productive workday and experience greater enjoyment in your personal life.

1. Try logging your time

The first step is logging how you spend your time. Write down everything including social media breaks, meals, and showers. Be detailed about what work tasks you’re completing rather than just writing down “work.” This will help you understand how you’re using your time and in what ways your personal life could be bleeding into your work life and vice versa so you can better understand how to correct it.

2. Schedule everything

You’re probably used to working toward some deadlines with your job. You know exactly when that report is due and when you’re having a team meeting. But you should also be scheduling your personal commitments. Add time with loved ones, time at the gym, and time to do things you love to your calendar and make sure you honor those commitments. The items on your personal calendar should be just as important as the items on your work calendar.

3. Commit to consistency

If you have a flexible job where you’re able to choose your hours, you still want to create consistency in your schedule. While your hours may not be 9 to 5, they should still be consistent, whether that’s 6 to 3, 10 to 6, or something else entirely. Then make sure you let your co-workers know which hours you’re planning on completing your work. Honor their boundaries too by not sending them work-related items when it isn’t their work hours.

4. Create separate logins

If you use a personal computer that you also use for work, consider creating two separate logins for the device. One login will be for all your work-related activities including work-related apps, reminders, and settings. The other will be for your personal use. This will help you avoid becoming distracted by work during personal time and personal life during work hours. This is also a great way to create a ritual that cements the idea of separate work and play hours. When you log out of your work account for the day, it’s a signal that you can stop thinking about work and shift to personal life.

5. Find something to look forward to

If you feel like your life is consumed by work, you may need to work on building more of a life outside of work. Think about finding a new hobby or investing time in a forgotten passion you once loved. Having something you truly enjoy doing outside of work can give you more motivation to limit work to your working hours.

Master working from home!

With these tips, you’ll be able to create a greater separation between work life and personal life even if you’ve moved into temporary housing. You won’t necessarily strike the perfect balance right away. But with practice, working from home and not becoming burnt out will get easier!