When you first start working from home, all you can see are the glorious benefits: a ten-second commute, working in your pajamas, and the ability to just turn off your phone or chat notifications when you need a break from your co-workers. All that is true, but working from home also comes with a serious challenge to your work-life balance. After all, when your work materials are always in front of you, it’s easy to just keep working for longer than you should.

Burnout is one of those problems that are far easier to prevent than they are to fix, and preventing burnout is a simple matter of improving your work-life balance. Try these tips if you’re seeing the line between work and life start to blur.

Remote Work-Life Balance Tips

1. Set a Hard Stop Time

When you’re at home, it’s easy to say, “I’ll just finish this one quick task,” or, “I’ll work a little late so I’m ahead of schedule for tomorrow.” I played that game for a long time and trust me, when you think you’ve opened a relaxing window in your schedule for tomorrow, something *always* comes up to fill it in.

Give yourself a hard stop time each afternoon or evening. This is the latest your work will end, and it’s non-negotiable.

2. Play a Zone Defense Against Burnout

Working from home can lead to mental burnout even if you’re maintaining the same work schedule you would at an office. When your work is always right in front of you, you tend to think about it more often and that’s mentally exhausting.

Instead, establish “zones” in your home: separate the place where you work from the place where you relax. This way, you’re in a work mindset when you’re working but when you leave that space, it’s easier to mentally separate from the job.

Of course, some of us live in small spaces where that isn’t possible. In this case, have a closed-off place where you put your work materials at the end of the day, even if it’s just a specific drawer or closet. You know the saying: out of sight, out of mind.

3. Don’t Just Work from Home

Who said working from home means that you can only work from home? Sometimes it’s hard to concentrate at home, so you start to burn out simply from the mental energy it takes to force yourself to focus.

Mix it up! Try working from a coffee shop or a restaurant for a few hours. Get a day pass for a coworking space. Head to a local library, or heck, even a nearby park where you can use your phone’s hotspot for wi-fi. If you want company, look for a coworking meetup with Ladies Work Remote.

4. Take Lunch Outside

The outdoors has an amazing ability to re-energize us, and the middle of the day is the perfect time to give yourself that gift. Personally, my husband and I have gotten in the habit of using our lunch break to workout outside.

Not only does this create a truly refreshing break in the middle of the day, but by working out earlier rather than waiting until after work, we avoid the temptation to skip it because we’re always tired at the end of the workday.

Working from Home in the Best Way

To quote the ever-lovable Adrian Monk, working from home can be “a gift…and a curse.” There are so many advantages, but it does take some added strategy and discipline to take care of yourself and maintain a work-life balance. Start by learning more about Ladies Work Remote and joining us for an upcoming event.

Living at Work? Work-Life Balance Tips for Working from Home