For a lot of us, working from home is the ideal scenario. While I still teach at school, I’ve been working more from home as the months go by. And it’s pretty awesome – there are a lot of earning opportunities to be found online, whether you’re an academic like me (Udemy is an awesome place to earn by producing lessons) or prefer something a bit easier to do.
But one challenge work from home people face is how to relax. This might seem strange, given that when you work from home, you don’t have to face common sources of stress like traffic, long commutes, and annoying people in the office.
But when you work from home, there might not be clear-cut lines between your professional life and your personal life. And this can be a source of stress. When you work in an office, there’s a clear line between work and family life. But how do you keep work and life separate when your home is your office?
I suggest setting aside as space in your home just for work. It doesn’t have to be a dedicated home office – I know not everyone will have space for that. But it could be a desk in the living room, or even a spot on the kitchen table. Basically, you’ll want a space that you know is for work, and work alone. This will help you get in the zone when it’s time to work. But more importantly, it’ll help you wind down when your work day is over.
One of the worst things you can do is work in places that are meant for rest and recreation. When you do that, your inner balance gets messed up. Your mind won’t know whether it’s time to relax or time to work.
For example, I used to work in bed. I thought that was one of the perks of working from home. Turns out, it was a bad, even damaging, habit. Bed should be for rest and sleep. But eventually, I began to subconsciously associate my bed with work. And that gave me a severe case of insomnia. My mind and body didn’t know whether the space was meant for rest or chill time.
Eventually, I set up a small office in my spare room. After work, I would physically leave that space, and go about my day. And that helped me relax.
But one challenge work from home people face is how to relax. This might seem strange, given that when you work from home, you don’t have to face common sources of stress like traffic, long commutes, and annoying people in the office.
But when you work from home, there might not be clear-cut lines between your professional life and your personal life. And this can be a source of stress. When you work in an office, there’s a clear line between work and family life. But how do you keep work and life separate when your home is your office?
I suggest setting aside as space in your home just for work. It doesn’t have to be a dedicated home office – I know not everyone will have space for that. But it could be a desk in the living room, or even a spot on the kitchen table. Basically, you’ll want a space that you know is for work, and work alone. This will help you get in the zone when it’s time to work. But more importantly, it’ll help you wind down when your work day is over.
One of the worst things you can do is work in places that are meant for rest and recreation. When you do that, your inner balance gets messed up. Your mind won’t know whether it’s time to relax or time to work.
For example, I used to work in bed. I thought that was one of the perks of working from home. Turns out, it was a bad, even damaging, habit. Bed should be for rest and sleep. But eventually, I began to subconsciously associate my bed with work. And that gave me a severe case of insomnia. My mind and body didn’t know whether the space was meant for rest or chill time.
Eventually, I set up a small office in my spare room. After work, I would physically leave that space, and go about my day. And that helped me relax.