June 4, 2020
Not every work from home situation looks the same. Those who live alone face different challenges from those working alongside roommates or family members. Some may have technical or environmental obstacles to overcome, not to mention personal or emotional ones. By getting organized, making strategic choices, and communicating openly, you can work more effectively at home when you have a houseful of people. We’ve rounded up our top five tips to help you work and live better with a full house.
Maintaining healthy work-life balance is vital — both for your productivity and for overall well-being. While you work in a house where others are on the job and/or learning online, it’s important (and complicated) to balance everyone’s needs. Trying to work while your partner is on a call in the next room or your kids are online learning (with Fido scratching at the door and the dishwasher running) can be overwhelming and distracting. To find a good balance (and some peace and quiet), establish ground rules with your housemates to keep your work lives as separate from each other’s as possible, while also maintaining a space for your personal lives.
Here are some ideas:
It helps to set a schedule and stick to it as much as you can. Remember: don’t expect perfection, especially right now. Working towards more regular times for meals, exercise, work and study shifts for all members of the household, will help you get better at maintaining those all-important boundaries for work and home life.
Here are some ideas:
While there are many benefits to having family or roommates at home, spending all your time in the same space can also lead to connection overload. The constant presence of your housemates can put a strain on your home relationships and make you feel more removed from your professional ones. It’s important to find a balance in your alone time, family time, and work time. In addition to getting a break from work, you also need to get regular breaks from the members in your household!
Here are some ideas:
If you find that at any given moment you have four messaging platforms, three email accounts several social media apps dinging at you, and one or more humans at your elbow asking you a question, you’re not alone. It’s tricky to balance everything that wants our attention all at once! However, constant multitasking can cause stress and attention fatigue, leading to less engagement in both your personal and professional life. By compartmentalizing tasks, notifications, and your family/work time, you can focus on the task at hand and tackle everything that needs to be done in a timely manner.
Here are some ideas:
It’s worth committing some time and resources to making your home office — whether it’s a private room or a corner of the bedroom — as comfortable as possible. Desk-based work can easily become a strain on the body and mind when your setup is less than ideal. Plus, creating a special area for work will allow you to create clear demarcations between your work and home life.
Here are some ideas:
Every work from home situation is unique. Whether you’re surrounded by roommates, have a household full of family members, or have a needy (and loving) pet demanding your attention, finding the right balance between work and your personal life is key. With clear communication, some careful planning, and a little effort, you’ll be on the road to WFH success whatever your circumstances.
What else would you add? Share your work from home tips with us @CenturyLinkHome on social media!
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