She Sheds are a fantastic solution to help you work from home. But working from home introduces a new challenge: finding a work/life balance. Without a dedicated space and dedicated hours, the lines between work life and home life can be easily blurred.
Here’s a few basic rules you can follow to maintain a healthy work/life balance.
With our emails available on our laptops and phones, it’s easier than ever to overwork. Even if you’ve shut down your laptop for the day, it’s likely only a few feet away. There can be a temptation to work whenever you can, because you can. Set yourself work hours and stick to them. This ensures work won’t take over all day, every day.
Share your work hours with your team and your family.
Time boundaries help your kids understand that at certain times during the day you will be in work mode, and the other times, you’ll be in parent mode. It also helps your team know when they can and cannot reach you.
In an office setting, your day is broken up. You might walk down to the coffee shop, take a toilet break, or chat with a co-worker. When at home it can be easy to work for long unbroken periods, or be distracted by everything that needs to be done at home. Manage these distractions like you would in a workplace. Studies show that we should take a break every 50 – 90 minutes of work. Work 50 minutes then take 5 minutes to put a load of washing on. Then return to work for another 50 minutes, then take 5 minutes to unload the dishwasher.
Ensure you mentally clock out at the end of the work day. Turn your laptop off and shut the lid. Clean up pens and notepads, remove empty cups and glasses. Physically tidying up and closing down your workspace will replicate leaving at the end of the day, and will help transition you from work life to home life.
Close your laptop and change your environment. Spend 30 – 60 minutes without staring at a screen. Go for a walk, read a book, sit outside in the sun. Whatever you choose to do, do it somewhere other than your work station.
You may not be leaving the house and sitting in meetings all day with other physical humans, but this doesn’t mean you should spend all day in your pyjamas either. Getting up and getting dressed mentally prepares you for the day ahead. Some people even find it helpful to change again into ‘home clothes’ at the end of the workday.
Have a space that is dedicated for work. Being too comfortable can negatively impact productivity, so working from your bed or couch may not be the best place to achieve your work goals. Create a workspace that has great lighting with a comfortable desk and chair. Ensure your space is clutter free, neat and dedicated to being your workspace. If you don’t have a spare room, or relaxed dining room, a She Shed is a great alternative!
Here are some popular choices of wooden sheds to use as a home office:
$11,399
$15,299
$17,599
$23,799
2024
SheShed Australia & New Zealand. All rights reserved.