Six years after a major pandemic and working from home continues to be the new normal. After some initial adjustment, many people have realised how much it suits them and how much more they prefer it, particularly when on a hybrid working policy (partially in the office, partially at home).
But while there are so many positives to working from home – the lack of commute, the flexibility – it has its challenges too. Lots of people really struggle to switch off their home life and turn on their work life when they’re working from their own abode.
Getting your working from home work–life balance right can reduce stress, improve the quality of your work, and allow you to actually enjoy your time away from the desk. Here are some practical ways to make it happen.
- Set a clear start and finish time
One of the simplest but most effective things you can do is treat your working day like a “proper” working day. Set a time to start, a time to finish, and stick to both. Without a commute to bookend your day, it’s easy to drift by starting too early, finishing too late, or finding yourself checking emails long after you should have logged off.
Having a consistent routine gives your day structure and, just as importantly, gives your evenings and weekends back to you. If you find it hard to switch off mentally, try a small ritual to mark the end of the day, like going for a walk or physically closing your laptop.
It’s also worth setting boundaries with the people you live with. If others are at home during your working hours, make it clear when you’re available and when you’re not to prevent constant interruptions and help everyone settle into a routine that works.
- Create a dedicated workspace
Where you work matters more than most people realise. If you’re working from your sofa or your bed, your brain struggles to separate relaxation from work, which only makes it even harder to focus during the day and harder to unwind in the evening.
If you have a spare room or a dining room, make use of it. If not, try to carve out a specific corner or area of your home that’s just for work. A proper desk and office chair go a long way here, and not just for comfort. They actually help your mind get into work mode when you sit down and leave it behind when you stand up.
Try to keep the space tidy too, as clutter has a way of adding to the stress of an already busy day.
- Get outside during the day
Ever start to feel like a hermit for spending every hour of the day inside? We know the feeling. When you work from home, it’s easy to go entire days without leaving the house, but stepping outside can help to reset your focus, lift your mood and create a natural break that splits the day into sections.
Whether it’s a walk around the block at lunchtime, a run before you start work, or just sitting in the garden with a coffee, getting some fresh air and daylight makes a real difference to how you feel by the end of the day. It also gives your working day some of the rhythm that an office environment naturally provides.
- Plan something to look forward to
If you ever feel like the day never really ends, this tip is for you. Having something planned for after work (even something small) gives you a reason to stop and something to look forward to. It could be cooking a new recipe, watching a film, meeting a friend, or getting out somewhere at the weekend.
If you find yourself regularly working late or skipping breaks, it might be a sign that you need to be more deliberate about protecting your personal time. Try scheduling your out-of-work activities the same way you’d schedule a meeting: put them in the diary and treat them as non-negotiable.
Planning ahead like this also helps shift your mindset. Rather than drifting from work mode into an evening of half-distracted scrolling, you’re actively choosing to close the laptop and enjoy your time off.
- Be consistent
Consistency absolutely pays off, and it may take a while for you to adjust to your new pattern. A good work–life balance is something that is built over time through small daily habits. The more regularly you stick to your schedule, protect your workspace, and make time for life outside work, the more natural it becomes.
It won’t always go perfectly, but don’t kick yourself when that’s the case. The important thing is to keep coming back to the habits that work best for you.
And we really think your work and your wellbeing will improve because of it.
