Way before COVID-19 and the need for organisations to work remotely to adhere to social distancing, freelancers and many entrepreneurs have had to adjust to working from home. So, it pretty much looks like they’ve been ahead all this time.

Furthermore, there are numerous advantages of working from home, and the idea of it all sounds like a fairy tale for many 9-5ers. While we acknowledge the benefits of remote work, it is also essential to highlight the downside so you can avoid falling into these traps.

In that vein, here are steps you can take to create boundaries between your work and personal life when working remotely.

Have a dedicated workspace

This tip may seem like a no-brainer, but in reality, it is not as easy as you think. Between making dinner, assisting children with their schoolwork and feeding your dog, it is easy to catch yourself working on your kitchen counter or wherever there is a slab to lean on.

Creating a designated workspace does not only safeguard working tools like computers and documents from accidental spillage, but it also helps prepare your mind to activate and ease into work mode.

Create working hours

In addition to creating a workspace, it is important also to create working hours. Setting aside specific hours during the course of your day solely for work makes it easy to track your productivity. Making plans, setting up appointments, and dates will also come easy if you have designated hours for work. This is also a form of self-discipline as it challenges you to remain focused during this period and to give up distractions. Just note that you have to hold yourself accountable to the same standards required of you in an office setting.

Stay organised

Ever heard the saying that an organised mind is a productive mind? Well, this is why. Research shows that clutter can crowd the mind and impair productivity as the mind finds it difficult to navigate, focus, and make sense of things.

Take advantage of technology and find ways to separate your mail, phone numbers, and other working tools from clashing with your home and personal life. A good choice is to use mail forwarding services for forwarding for postal mail. With this, you can pick a flexible work address, and they can assist you by forwarding mail to the customers and business partners.

Respect your off-days

As a remote worker, it is possible to spend a couple of days cooped up indoors. Pick a day or two in the course of the week and set them as your off days. Furthermore, respecting this allocated time comes with many health benefits.

You can do this by not giving in to the temptation of working, checking or replying emails, and making phone calls to follow up on inconclusive deals. These may seem like little harmless practices, but they can quickly turn into a bad habit that prevents you from focusing on other things that matter like love, friendship, family, and self-care.

Remote work is a great and convenient alternative to going to an office and enduring the hassle of commuting. However, it requires proper discipline and thought-through strategies to prevent causing strain in your relationships.

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