Since home working became much more of a norm, many of us are experiencing higher levels of burnout and other mental health issues than ever before. In some ways, these are inevitabilities of the crazy age we’re living in. But, the three extra hours that the majority of homeworkers set upon each day probably aren’t helping.
The simple fact is that, when you remove the home/office boundary, it’s incredibly difficult to walk away. You certainly wouldn’t be alone in asking the all-important question – is there such a thing as a 9-5 when you work from home? More importantly, does there need to be? Keep reading to find out.
Manage your own time, your way
Ultimately, there is no such thing as a 9-5 when you work from home, but maybe that’s the wrong focus. Instead, it’s worth asking whether there’s such a thing as the traditional eight-hour work-day, and the answer to that is very much affirmative.
After all, the ability to lie in or choose the times when you’re most productive is a huge benefit. But, it’s no reason to stick around for longer when you do reach the office. Whenever you choose to work, home efforts are just about selecting a cut-off point that’s similar to what you’d have in an office.
Stick to your schedule with time management
So, if we’re planning to stick to the eight hour day, why do so many of us slip and stay longer? In some ways, this comes down to time management issues. After all, there are far more distractions at home, and it’s also far easier to try and squeeze more in before you clock off.
Luckily, to-do lists offer a simple way to overcome this setback. By writing out what you need to do each week and splitting those tasks into timed daily focuses, you can make sure that you know what you’re doing, when you need to do it, and ultimately, when you can shut that office door each night.
Find ways to truly shut the door
Sadly, with emails on-demand and the temptation of our work computers luring us, many of us find ourselves back at our desks late at night even if we had the best of intentions. This ruins the idea of the eight-hour day altogether and is ultimately the worst issue of all.
The good news is that there are plenty of ways around this. Something as simple as setting up an out-of-office email notification is well within your rights and lets everyone know when you’ll be back in the office to reply while taking pressure off your shoulders. Equally, turning to outside IT support for your home business could be a fantastic option, allowing you to rest easy that any problems will be handled well while you’re out of the office. Thus, there really won’t be any excuse to go back there again.
Is finding balance/achieving normal hours easy when you work from home? No. Is it worth taking the steps to make it happen regardless? Absolutely!