Life Work Balance

Work Brilliantly while Having a Well-Grounded and Flourishing Home Life

Hopefully, if you are part of a team your employer offers some flexibility and your team agrees on common working hours that are not in conflict with what you want or need. If you are the boss or work alone you make the decisions. Here are 12 key choices that can lead to you working brilliantly and achieving what you truly desire from a work-from-home lifestyle, while having a well-grounded and flourishing home life.

1. Schedule Work and Non-Work Hours

Working from bed, sitting at a desk, staying there for hours until you have accomplished all of your tasks does not set you up for success. You will quickly get tired and bored of your work, and you may even burn out. You have the freedom and autonomy to plan a schedule for work and off-work hours that works best for you and allows you to maximize the positive lifestyle benefits of working from home.

Since you no longer commute make sure you can put those hours into doing the things you love.
Maybe you prefer to schedule the day with a three-mile walk at sunrise and then plow through your work and finish your work day by 2:00.
Remember, it's okay to schedule “me-time” in between those hours of work.
Whenever possible, try to start work and end work around the same times every day. Obviously, there will be times when a deadline or project requires you to alter your schedule. Otherwise, enter your workspace at your designated start time and close your laptop at a specific time.

You may have to experiment with a variety of routines to see what works best for you. Give yourself a weekly check-in to avoid remote work burnout. Make adjustments to determine a schedule that feels right, lets you fulfill your responsibilities, and is not so tedious or overwhelming it jeopardizes your work-life balance. The key is to find your groove.2.

2. Work with your Body’s Natural Ebbs and Flows

You body's energy has its own path and you are naturally more energetic and motivated at specific times of the day. Work with it. Determine the hours you have peak energy and be intentional about capitalizing on your most productive periods. Recent studies indicate that working in 90-minute blocks followed by a real break, turns out to be the most effective way to manage your energy level.

Plan to do your most intense work without interruptions then. Let the people in your life and organization know what this time is dedicated for. Save your harder tasks for when you know you will be in the best headspace. Use slower points of the day to take care of easier, logistical tasks. When you have a busy schedule, you may want to consider tuning into digital communication tools at designated times during the day. Perhaps a 40-minute nap in the afternoon recharges you.

3. Use Boundary Crossing Activities or Rituals to Start and End Your Workday

To help you separate work from the rest of your home life, you should consider pairing the physical boundaries of office space with mental ones through a ritual. Rituals are symbolic actions performed at key moments that help you to mentally switch context to start your work day or end it. Remote work experts call these “boundary-crossing activities”.

Putting on your work clothes or finessing your daily to-do list can indicate that you are changing from “home you” to “work you.” Replacing the commute with a ritual physical activity, like a walk to a nearby park or around your home can be invigorating as well as a boundary-crossing activity that tells you it’s time to head into your office space. Even if you’re working a flexible schedule because you’re looking after kids, you need little reminders to help you move between the different “states” of your day.

To end your day with a ritual you can clean your desktop, put your laptop in the closet, read a chapter of a book, or go for another walk which would also relieve tension in your body and give you a breath of fresh air.

4. The Vibe that Grounds Your Day

One of our remote workers says, “Starting my morning with coffee, my journal and sunshine, have become a non-negotiable in my life. This ritual always lifts me into a high vibe so I do it regularly. It’s my practice before I enter my work space.”

Establishing a morning routine can help set a positive vibe that grounds you for the day. Maybe you prefer to start the day with a two-mile walk at sunrise and finish for the day by 2:00 PM. The key is to find your groove.

Read about another Strategy for Having an Excellent Day

5. Dress the part

It is a bonus to work from home and wear what you want and be comfortable. To keep a sense of routine and feel the work mode try to have a shower and get dressed and do it around the same time every day. Wear what makes you feel sharp and confident. Establish a dress habit that gets you into the right frame of mind to separate your work from other aspects of your life. It might be putting on jewelry or comfortable footwear that establishes it is time for work. You could separate a work wardrobe from your comfortable clothing.

6. Trust Your Achievement Plan

You can fumble through the day spending valuable time trying to figure out what to do first and second guessing which should be done next. Remote workers agree that it is much better to follow an agenda or plan. You might call it a “to do” list.

We say ditch your to do list. Learn more about getting more done with an Assignment & Achievement Plan

With advance planning you won’t have to constantly make choices about what to focus on. If you get off-task or distracted, look at your achievement plan and swing back into work mode. To spend a lot less time in reactive mode, experienced digital nomads solidify the schedule the day before, making it feel more official when they begin their work day. In fact many of them employ a 2-Part Agenda:

Part #1 - The Comprehensive Inventory
Part #2 - the Daily Assignment

Part #1 - The Comprehensive Inventory: This is a weekly or monthly list of short, medium and long-term projects, ongoing commitments or responsibilities. You refer to this inventory when you need to decide what priority becomes an assignment on your daily achievement plan. Every one of commitments has a presence on this timeline. Keeping this inventory updated as new obligations arise and assignments are completed will bring clarity and focus to help you know what’s most important.

Part #2 Daily Assignment Plan – Do only 4 – 6 things but do them brilliantly!
Essentially, at the end of your work day, on a daily basis, you stop, think, and decide what 4-6 priority assignments will get your attention tomorrow. Clarify exactly what it is that you’re going to work on and exactly at what time you are going to work on the what. You choose 4-6 things that you can reasonable expect to get done tomorrow and tomorrow only. Your assignments (tasks) do not need to be massive time-consuming jobs but they should be assignments that matter. If you need to fold your laundry, set up an appointment. Need to consult a doctor? Add it. Make an firm appointment for each of the 4-6 assignments.

Be fair to yourself. Fit in rest and relaxation breaks into your plan. Factor in likely disruptions, snacks, etc. between appointments.
Write the assignments and the appointed times on brightly colored paper and make it visible. This keeps it from getting lost on your desk. Seeing it in your handwriting reminds you how important the assignments are.
Consider keeping these appointments to be as important as a meeting with a client.
Checking off assignments as you do them.
You can create an achievement plan for the days you are not working to ensure that your leisure activities, me-time, cooking, family get-to-gethers, grocery shopping, and socializing have priority too.

Naturally, it's important to let your agenda change if you need it to, but it's equally as important to commit to following your daily achievement plan.

Learn More About This Work Smart Strategy

Because you prepare the achievement plan at the end of the work day, the next day you don't have to fret about what to do or be intimidating by a long weekly to-do list. When you transition into work mode, the only thing you have to worry about is being on time for the first appointment. When that is done you go to the next appointment.

I will do only 4-6 things, but I will do them brilliantly.

7. Plan for Real Breaks

In recognizing the value of work-life balance you will find that you concentrate better and feel less stressed when you purposefully detach from work and enjoy a real break during a workday. The science clearly shows that taking a cognitive time-out helps you work better and feel better. The experiences of remote workers confirm that.

Our remote workers strongly recommend that you plan a schedule to take care of yourself in special ways, do things you love and take care of your well-being, mentally, physically and emotionally. Above all, they stress adhering to your schedule and taking real breaks. A break is not staying seated in your office. It is not browsing the internet or checking your phone. An effective break means you allow your brain to absolutely disconnect from work. It should make your brain and mind feel refreshed and your energy restored.

Use a calendar, a visible one, to allocate frequent times for the following:

1. Schedule real breaks, including:

Time for cooking healthy meals. Triin yourself to prepare lunch rather than ordering in. Cooking will put your mind at ease, give your eyes a break from the screen and will give you the opportunity to be creative and healthy for what you put into your body. Besides Cooking Boosts Brain Power. Oh and please, try not to eat at your work area.
Spend time in nature – once a day get outdoors to stroll in the fresh air, sit on your balcony, walk the dog, take a bike ride to get coffee.
Stretching and snack breaks – even with an ergonomic comfortable chair it is not wise to remain seated for long periods of time. Get to know your body and how to remove tension and avoid over-straining it. Train yourself to stretch your muscles at regular intervals. You might use your stretching breaks to do a household chore or get fresh air before you switch to a standing desk for part of the day.

2. Learn the art of stillness – no apps, no cell phone. Take a break in silence: daydream, read, nap, draw.

3. Establish a fitness routine and stick to it . In fact, make fitness a steadfast rule, even it is just walking around the block. Did you know that Dancing is Good for your Mind?

4. Plan post-workday activities that you enjoy: hobbies, sports, socializing with friends, connecting with family, having fun. These are the Underpinnings of Meaningful Authentic Happiness. Socializing is also good for your mind.

5. Treat yourself to a daily reward for finishing the business day. Food is a go-to reward. That’s okay, if you are good at self-control and can limit yourself to a spoonful of ice cream. You could opt for turning up the tunes and dancing, or sit on the balcony to unwind with your favorite soothing drink.

8. Avoid Trying to Multitask or Switch-Tasking

Focus on getting one project finished before switching to the next. We’ve all heard about people who think they can get more done by multitasking, but in reality, when a person switches between different activities frequently, their duration of focus on any one activity reduces as a consequence. It actually takes a toll on productivity. Evidence shows that switching attention between different tasks results in a 50% longer time to finish those tasks, compared to focusing on one task through to completion before starting the next.

Many other studies have found that excessive multitasking results in more mistakes, stops you from getting into a state of flow and inhibits creative thinking. According to a study done by Microsoft, University of California and MIT, it takes the brain up to 24 minutes to re-focus after switching attention to something else. (23 minutes and 15 seconds to be exact) So if you try to multi-task, you are really just interrupting what you were doing and it is going to take a longer time to get your work done. Learn More About How Trying to Multitask Derails Your Energy

9. Create Accountability for Yourself

So how do you avoid the distractions, stay laser-focused, and keep productivity levels high when children, a new puppy, social media, or a Netflix binge are but a few steps from your work desk? You have to hold yourself accountable. With a solid routine and the right “guardrails” in place, you’ll maximize the feeling of being in control.

Here are some tips for staying accountable while working from home.

Be visible at work. As a rule we fear being found unproductive. In an office setting, other people who are working hard surround you. They might check in on your work at any moment. Being visible to your colleague will discourage you from wasting your time. Check in with your team to let them know what you are doing. Mark your progress on collaboration tools or send a message at the start of every day listing all of the main tasks you hope to accomplish. If people know what you’re working on, you are more likely to finish.

Commit publicly – this ensures you stay on track.
Stick To A Fail-Proof Morning Routine - morning routines encourage productive habits, jump-start your brain, and get your workflows in a rhythm. In fact, several remote workers swear that their morning ritual or routine is the secret to their success.
Adhere to your daily schedule. It is an effective ways to stay accountable to your goals.
Find a remote work accountability buddy, someone to voice a concern to, or someone who can help keep you on track. Tick a box every day. Make sure you tick thinks off your to-do list.

Save yourself a lot of trouble by establishing communication and work expectations with your work team early on. Find out what hours you can expect your manager and teammates to be available and what kind of turnaround time to expect from them. Determine if you will need anyone to review or approve your work. If it is not already arranged, set up regular (weekly or bi-weekly) meetings with your team to touch base. Proactively reach out to coworkers when you are unsure.

10. Manage Collaborative Technology for Connection and Work-Life Balance

Collaborative technology is a lifeline for remote workers. There are many ways to assimilate it into a full spectrum of interpersonal experiences. It allows you to be virtually present, stay in touch with coworkers, and remain connected to your team. Remember that you do not need to be present all day every day. Excursions to run an errand, attend an appointment, or take a day off are a very natural part of work-from-home life.

11. Collaboration can be Demanding

Virtual collaboration can be exhausting or over-stimulating after several demanding sessions with all manner of people looking to connect in various ways. Wherever possible try to plan for measured refreshing breaks between collaborative sessions to be alert to what is important and express yourself concisely. Ten minutes gives you time to make notes, run to the restroom, get a drink of water and generally decompress before you settle in for the next session. Never rush into the connection. Set the vibe. Here are some suggestions to manage these types of face-to-face virtual connections:

If you cannot take a refreshing ten-minute break, you could make a quick trip up and down a set of steps, do a couple push-ups, skip rope for a few seconds, brush your hair to stimulate your scalp, or rub an ice cube over your tummy.
Breathing space – prior to establishing connection give yourself at least 3 minutes to settle in and ground your attention before you start. If a call takes you by surprise and you cannot ignore it, take a few deep breaths, feel your body in the chair, place your hand on your heart in a comforting way to say “I’m here for you; it’s ok to feel how you feel at this moment”.
At the very least revive yourself with water.
Take a moment to smile for yourself – always give yourself a thumbs-up, fist-pump, and a smile, before clicking start. Better yet, laugh out loud – the sound and energy of laughing can be energizing.
Check in early to say hello to each person before the meatiness of the meeting begins. “Hi, how was your weekend?” or “How was your daughter’s birthday party?” are perfectly friendly things to say, something you might say in the coffee room or as you walk by someone’s desk.
It can be a challenge to track all those faces on a screen. If the program allows, choose “speaker view” to focus attention on the speaker and see everyone else peripherally.
To soften the strain on your eyes, you might periodically look beyond the screen to see out a window or ease your focus on a painting, but always pay attention to the participants.
Above all avoid multi-tasking. You cannot hyper-focus with distractions and low energy.
Set aside time at the end of the meeting for chit chat, laughs, and planning for virtual social time.

12 Focus on the Benefits to Affirm Your Choices

How many times have we heard from remote workers, “I come alive working from home? I get a surge of excitement at the end of a productive day!” We also hear about days that are not so happy. If you wake up to one of those bad-hair days remind yourself of the benefits:

Saving time and money by not commuting, eating out, or splurging on a workplace wardrobe.
You have more time for family.
You have more time to get fit and healthy.
It’s better for your mental health.
It’s better for your family.
You avoiding the frustration of a commute or distracting coworkers.
You can turn that commute time into hobbies, rest, or advancing your professional goals.
You have more financial freedom.
You can work from anywhere.
You can establish a sleep schedule that works for you.
You can establish a work schedule that is more conducive to your body’s natural ebbs and flows and working style which results in more productivity.
You can relocate to somewhere more affordable or somewhere you love.
You enjoy the independence. You feel liberated.
You feel more productive.
You can have an important meeting while only dressed appropriately from the waist up.
Your pet can be perched lovingly in our lap while you study budget projections.
You can meet an old college friend for coffee. Have lunch with your spouse, parents, or family any day a week you choose.

Make yourself a poster:

Remember to acknowledge the significance of work-life balance. Even if you are coping well, remember that working remotely may feel isolating for your co-workers (even for introverts), so as part of your routine, try to interact with your co-workers regularly. When they plan virtual events plan to participate. Be a role-model for family, friends, and co-workers. When they ask how you fit in classes, fitness, cooking, volunteering, and getting a good night’s sleep while also working eight hours a day, you can proudly tell them how you achieve your work-life balance.

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