It’s nothing new to talk about the pandemic and how effectively it shut down both 2020 (and perhaps 2021), and so we’ll refrain from doing that. However, talking about the consequences of lockdowns, even if they are totally necessary, can also be quite important. For instance, many of us have had to settle into a new flow of life, ordering our groceries at distinct times while hoping for a delivery slot, or trying to entertain our children when they’re bouncing from the walls (particularly in the midst of winter).
What does this mean in practice? Well, healthily dividing work and personal life is perhaps a tough ask in the first place, but it can be even tougher when at home. For example, for some people, the work they perform at their computer is the computer they use to manage all of their personal tasks, too, and that can feel quite tiring. It might also be that because the hours have become somewhat formless, we fail to stick to a defined disciplinary schedule, and that can pose a problem.
So – how do we move forward and thrive despite these issues? It’s in the following advice we hope to discuss that:
Make Two Computer Profiles
Not every home worker can have the luxury of curating a completely new office space solely for them, or even find a place away from their children while trying to keep up with their daily responsibilities. The practical realities of home life are breeding into our workdays more and more, and this is perhaps a natural extension of working from home without expecting this to become the norm – a state of affairs that has both its advantages and disadvantages.
However, there are a few simple and free techniques you can try. Chief among them, for instance, is creating two profiles on the Windows, Mac, or Linux machine you are using. This can help you keep your profiles separate, from your web browser account logins to your integrated email accounts and how you structure your local file access. This can help you keep the two responsibilities separated. Then, when researching for work, you won’t have to worry about stumbling on pages you had set up for home use, and you won’t be distracted by the movies, games, social media accounts, and other logins that may have tempted you at every waking moment.
There’s something to be said about disciplining your focus, and this is perhaps the easiest and most conducive way to go about things.
Set Aside Your Home Office
Of course, a home office can be a worthwhile place to focus and keep your work secure. You don’t have to have a separate room in the house for this, but it can be useful. At the very least, creating a space where your computer booth can sit obscured from the rest of the household can be important, no matter if that’s in the corner of a living room or even in your bedroom upstairs.
It might be that you agree to keep your office door closed after lunchtime hours, your partner picking up the slack to help with your family while you focus intensely for that time. You might ask your children to occupy a different room, setting up entertainment there when you have to take company meetings. It might even be that you find a table setup in your bedroom and work on your laptop from there, or in the garden when the weather becomes more agreeable. The more you can focus on curating your office right for you, the better you can feel about the entire affair in the long run.
Commit To Regular Hours
Committing to regular hours is often the healthiest way to split up your duties. For instance, it’s very easy to work a little here, a little there, and to feel like you’re not making much progress as you attend to things around the house.
Of course, if you actually have things to attend to around the house, don’t let us stop you. Lockdown has given us all varied experiences and responsibilities to manage. That said, if you can focus your working hours to set times, you’re likely to be more productive, and thus experience your personal life more easily outside of those hours. You might even keep the same hours you did in the office, despite the lack of apparent and exacting deadlines right now. If you can do that, then you’ll more easily understand what it means to curate and develop a better approach to timekeeping.
It will also increase your time off work, and how much you enjoy it. You might be able to use satellite installations to help access a range of excellent media services, for instance. In that way, you’re sure to feel comfortable.
Get Out Of The House When You Can
No matter how well you timekeep, divide your day, spend time away from and with your children, everything is taking place in your house. Sometimes, it’s better to get out of the house. Of course, under lockdown it’s hard to do that – but you may be able to take an hour’s long walk each day, or relax in your garden with a coffee, or spend some time reading in the park.
This can help you feel a little less closed in, tired and limited. It might help you get that necessary mental pause you truly need to feel comfortable and focused when you return to your office. It can also help you get a little peace and quiet, as in even the most impressive homes, families stuck inside 24/7 can feel just a little bit limiting. When you get out of the house in this way, you’re much more likely to manage your mental and physical health in a better, more promising and worthwhile light. That can be important for anyone, even the most trustworthy professionals, to retain their professional capacity under these difficult times.
With this advice, we hope you can healthily divide both your work and personal life at home.
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