5 Ways to Create Boundaries Between Work and Home

As 2021 begins, it seems like a good time to reflect on the immense journey we have all taken this year. Unpredictability, loss, personal growth, transformation, sadness, loneliness, empowerment, confusion and perhaps surrender - it's likely something many of us have feltall the emotionsover the last year. One thing we may not have expected was that our work and personal lives would blur; that the kitchen table would work overtime as a desk and dining table or that a “big day” would involve braving the supermarket…. If you've rushed from the routine of working in an office environment or somewhere outside the home to suddenly sitting at home, it can seem like the transition has happened in something of a whirlwind. There was no time to plan your new workspace layout, scheduled breaks and lunches, or what you would wear now if you #WFH(One of the most popular new “work from home” hashtags on social media). Many of my yoga students and Holistic Health clients have told me this year that they have struggled to create boundaries between work and home, work and play. In fact, statistics show that many of those who work from home are now workingMorehours than before, and if we're honest, that's what we doYes, reallywant to spend our lives with it.
If you're struggling to create boundaries between work and home, or find yourself in an email black hole even after dinner, it's time to make time. It's time to set some boundaries for yourself so you can fully relax and unwind at home again and return your residence to the sanctuary it should be. Read on for 5 ways to get started:

1. Commute

It may sound strange, but no matter how much you loathed your previous commute, it was actually a pretty important part of creating a boundary between work and home. Getting in the car, walking outside, or getting on the train all help create a mindset. We either put our work on or take it off when we return home. If you miss the commute, work and home blur into a continuous, monotonous spiral of not-quite-functioning and not-quite-resting. The solution? Recreate your commute! Even a brisk 10-minute walk outside before your online meetings in the morning can be enough to put you in a more focused state and go for a walk, or even to another room for an online yoga class after you finish your work. A big difference from feeling switched off.

2. Dress To Impress & Dress To De-Stress

If you've been working from home in your pajamas for the past few months, it's time for things to change! The clothes we wear contain strong energy, and the energy can be easily imprinted on us. For example, if we wear pajamas at 2 p.m., we don't feel as awake and alert as if we had showered and changed clothes in the morning. Just as colors influence our mood (with blue, green, and gray being calming and red, orange, and bright pink being stimulating), the outfits we put together can also help change the way we think. (and yes, you have to change yourswholeOutfit, not just the part that your employees can seeZoomMeetings…) Since we go out a lot less these days, why not wear the outfit that makes you feel best while working? After work, slip into something comfortable and cozy to signal that it's time to relax.

3. Create a space that works for you

A busy kitchen with family members cooking, cleaning, and running noisy washing machines may not be the ideal place to do your best work. While this may take a bit of rearranging, it's important to create a space at home that's dedicated to work. Just as it's recommended to only use your bed for sleeping, if you want to improve your sleep, try using a part of your house (even if it's a specific chair) for working and nothing else. When you enter this room or sit in the chair, change your state of mind. When you leave it, you will feel like you just left work too.

4. Schedule your social time

Working from home means couples and families spend a lot more time together, but not really much timetogether.With nowhere to go and little to plan, 2020 may have been a testing time for some relationshipsCrowdIf you get to know each other's annoying habits, you've probably figured out whether he/she is really the one for you now. If you're still going strong at this point, it's probably safe to say that if you're going to last a while longer, you should appreciate each other and really take time to plan some activities together that will remind you both of the importance of your relationship. It could be an evening cooking together, digging out those old board games, going for a walk together, or just having an uninterrupted and meaningful conversation (smartphone-free,ideally).

5. Restore your “you time.”

2020 has taken its toll and it's time to be a little more selfish. Everyone is affected to some degree, so skipping the gym for a long bath and a face mask or spending an entire afternoon doing something just for the fun of it will completely and undeniably relieve you of any guilt. rather than emphasizing being “productive.” If you're feeling a little burnt out, it's a real sign from your body that you need to stop immediately and give your life more fun, more relaxation, and more boundaries so that you recognize when to work and when to play.