Working remotely with your significant other? Here's how you can thrive and maintain balance with your lifestyle in 2022.
Robert and I have been working remotely since the pandemic began in March 2020. Since then, I have read every article you can imagine on how to stay focused and keep a consistent balance between your work and personal life.
After some trial and error, I'd like to share 8 of our best tips on staying productive and maintaining balance, while having realistic expectations in your work from home (WFH) lifestyle.
How to Stay Productive When Working Remote
1. Leave work at work.
We know this is hard, but setting healthy boundaries is, well, healthy. We realized early on that this was important for our work and personal relationship.
You must also establish boundaries with clients, colleagues, and employees. You should directly communicate your cutoff line between work and home. Our clients know our availability and our colleagues know our schedule and when it's an appropriate time to contact us.
Overall, having mental clarity is a crucial part of our work and personal lives. It has also been beneficial for us and our employees to have consistency in our work schedules and our communication. This has resulted in better productivity and performance because all parties know what to expect.
2. Practice self-care.
Check-in with yourself throughout the day. Are you drinking enough water? Are you taking breaks to detox from a long workday? Are you aware of your energy levels? It is also important to make your workspace relaxing and decluttered. Updating your workspace can aid in keeping your mind healthy and your body less stressed.
Don't forget to recharge and reboot. Take notice when you fall out of the self-care routine. When you feel yourself becoming stressed or neglected, gently reach for an act of self-care to allow yourself to feel more like you again.
Self-care should be a priority throughout the entire day, not just when you finish work. Weaving moments of personal care are more constructive than pushing through your workday while leaving the "you" time for after-hours.
3. Get two (or three) computer monitors.
There's nothing more to say. It's a total game changer!
4. Don't lose your focus.
When Robert and I first started working remotely, we had to figure out the best ways for us to tune into our work while blocking out the things that were keeping us from getting the job done. One struggle we found ourselves having to overcome was: How do we communicate to our friends and family, that even though we are home, it doesn't mean we are free to socialize? We, of course, love spending time with our friends and family, but we have certain times of the day when we need to lock in and get things done.
Communication was our solution. We let our loved ones know that just because we are working from home doesn’t mean that we are suddenly free for any and all social interactions.
It is crucial to identify what it is that is pulling you away from work, whether it be socializing, social media, your new favorite TV show, etc. Once you become self-aware of what is distracting you, you have to be strict on yourself and remove it from your workday entirely or save it only for your breaks. It might be hard in the beginning, but once you put it into practice, you will train your brain to stay on track.
5. Use collaboration tools for communication.
We love Microsoft Teams for communication and ClickUp for project management. Find what works best for you and your team.
6. Always put things on the calendar.
It’s easy to make plans with your boss and colleagues for a meeting or even for a fun outing, then forget you ever made the plan. You can get organized by creating reminders on your schedule. Since we are both WFH, we put EVERYTHING on the iOS family calendar. We both have access to it and it updates instantaneously. Writing it all down and planning your workday is extremely effective and will give your life more structure.
Try creating an hourly plan or time block for your workday. This will help you not only to prioritize but visualize which tasks require more attention and energy and which ones can be done quicker with less brainpower.
"If it isn't on the calendar, it isn't going to happen."
7. Be mindful of anyone working in the same space as you.
If you and your spouse both work from home, you may not have the luxury of having two home offices, but something that can help is reserving a room only for the use of taking phone calls so that the other person won't be disturbed.
If you both handle a lot of calls, it’s best to coordinate your phone and Zoom schedules. If you know you’ll be on a lot of calls for the week, try to set most or all of your calls for the same day, so you aren’t constantly distracting the other person.
8. Know your routine.
Try making a list of everything you need to get done daily, both work and personal. Structure out your entire day by what is on your agenda for the morning, midday, and evening. Feel free to get as specific with your schedule as you want - at least until you figure out what works best for you.
Don't forget to schedule in time for flexibility. You never know what life can throw at you, be willing to adjust your schedule as needed.
Test drive your routine for 30 days and make small adjustments to anything that isn't working for you.
Take time to ask yourself:
How has your role and workload changed?
Are you now doing more work or less?
What's working and what isn't?
We'd love to hear from you!
Do you have any tips to share for those working from home?
About our company
RHM specializes in helping businesses of all sizes and across all industries achieve their digital and web marketing needs. Whether it's designing a new website, building an app, performing custom development, or running Google Ads, our goal is to showcase how you are the best at what you do and help people connect with you. Contact us at 225-250-1888 to get started!
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