Balance | 5 things you can do to separate work and home life when remote

Remote working is a divisive issue. Prior to the outbreak of the global coronavirus pandemic, the working world was gradually waking up to the benefits that it held; between 2005 and 2019, Global Workplace Analytics discovered that working remotely had risen by a shocking 140%, whilst telecommuting has risen a total of 115% within the past decade.

And yes, overall it does seem to have positive ramifications for both workers and businesses. SmallBizGenius data found that 40% of workers feel the greatest benefit of remote working was the drastic increase in flexible scheduling, and as a result those companies that allow it see a 25% lower turnover. People who work remotely are on average 24% more likely to be happy and productive.

Yet, whilst it may well be a preference for many, the pandemic thrust into light the issues that many had never before considered when working from home – most notably, the very fine line between the efficiency of a flexible schedule and the threat of blurred lined between work life and home life. When working remotely, the physical and mental distance between your workspace and your home space effectively dissipates, leading many to work longer hours and, as a result, come under threat of burnout.

So the question for workers struggling with this concept is, how can you ensure that you’re ‘leaving’ the office at the end of each day when working from home? Here are five of the most effective ways to ensure that your work-life balance doesn’t suffer.