Working From Home Isn’t Supposed To Feel Like You’re Always Working
Working from home sounds wonderful in theory. No commute. Flexible hours. A cup of tea exactly the way you like it.
But somewhere between answering emails, putting on a load of laundry, responding to the school WhatsApp group, and wondering what to cook for dinner, work and home can quietly blur into one long, exhausting day.
I’ve been working from home for years now. Along the way, I’ve discovered a few simple habits that genuinely make my workdays feel calmer, more productive, and much less overwhelming.
Here are the five that have made the biggest difference.
1. Plan tomorrow before today ends
One of the kindest things you can do for your future self is spend five minutes planning the next day. This doesn’t need to be an elaborate exercise. A rough outline works well too. Ask yourself a few key questions:
What tasks absolutely need your attention?
When are you likely to have uninterrupted time?
Are there meetings? School pickups? Deliveries?
Take a few minutes out every night to plan your workflow for the next day. Depending on what your day looks like, you may want to plan large chunks of undisturbed time during the day in which to work, or, you may need to work in shorter windows depending on your schedule. Whatever it is, make a plan and think about how you’ll space your work out during the day, ahead of time. This way, you’ll have a head start for the next day. And you won’t wake up feeling like you’re aready behind.
2. Have a dedicated workspace
I can’t emphasize the importance of this enough, because this is something I learned the hard way. Trying to work in an unstructured manner from the dining table or your bed will only lead to frustration and loss of productivity.
It is well worth the investment to create a designated workspace for yourself. A consistent space where you work everyday helps your brain associate that space with getting work done.
Amp up productivity by creating a workspace that you love. It doesn’t have to be a Pinterest worthy home office. It just has to be a space that is ‘you’. Put up some pictures of your friends or family. Create refreshing pops of color through art or décor pieces you love. Place a potted plant for some greenery and better air quality.
Creating a clear space where you work also helps compartmentalize your work time from your non work time. That way when you’re done with work, you can physically move away from your ‘office’ and unwind without distractions.
3. Build structure into your children’s day
Every work from home mom has a story about how her kids interrupted her during an important work call. If you have children, plan a schedule for them just like you’ve planned your own work schedule. Kids do well with structure, and having a framework in place will help them manage their own time and respect yours as well.
Once you have a broad structure in place, plan some activities that will help your kids make use of their time when you have an important work meeting, or need a chunk of undisturbed time. This could be an activity they love, screen time, or even their own virtual playdate. And when all that planning is done, it helps to remember that sometimes the best laid plans can go to naught. So be mentally prepared for interruptions and the occasional fiasco!
4. Stay social!
What many of us miss the most about going to office is the casual social interactions with our work friends and colleagues. Working from home can be lonely and disorienting, taking away the many human interactions that make each day at an office unique.
Preempt work from home loneliness by reaching out to your colleagues and peers. Pick up the phone and talk to them instead of sticking to email and text. Plan a video call or a Zoom meeting.
Also, use your breaks to interact with others, including your family and friends. One of the advantages of working from home is the flexibility it offers, so use that to your advantage. I often squeeze in breakfast, a short walk, or a quick coffee with a friend before the workday starts. Sometimes a ten-minute conversation can completely change the energy of your day!
If you’re a work from home mom, find a social group of work from home moms like you. If you’re self-employed, freelancing, or building your own business, finding a community of women doing similar work can make an enormous difference. When the most part of your work day is solitary, it helps to have interactions with other human beings, both in and outside of work.
5. Take clear breaks
Don’t let the guilt of working from home stop you from taking breaks. Breaks are equally important to refuel you and keep your productivity going, so don’t neglect them. What you can do however, is design your breaks so that they are recharging you to work better.
Scrolling mindlessly through Instagram is likely to drain your energy or distract you. Instead, use your break to get in a snack, get some sunshine, or spend time with your family during your break. Even stepping away from your laptop for a quiet cup of tea (while it’s still hot!) can be enough to reset before you dive back in.
A gentle reminder…
Working from home doesn’t have to mean squeezing more into every hour. It’s about creating enough structure so that your work supports your life instead of taking it over.
And you will have all sorts of days, good and bad! Super productive days when you finish everything on your list. And crawl-back-into-bed days when the plumber arrives, the internet stops working, your child forgets their project, and dinner is khichdi.
But remember, that in the overall scheme of things, both kinds of days count. Productivity isn’t about perfection. It can also be about giving yourself the best chance to do meaningful work without losing yourself in the process.
And if you’re reading this while reheating your tea for the third time…
I see you. ❤️