Setting Boundaries: Balancing Work and Personal Life When Working From Home

I have always loved the social side of in-office work. As an ESFJ (for the Myers-Briggs fans), I gain energy from being around and interacting with others — working in an office provides me this opportunity. Traveling to a physical office also allowed me to disconnect by leaving the building at the end of the day to enjoy my evening. 

When I first transitioned to a fully remote setting, I was living in a one-bedroom apartment with my husband, who was also fully remote (thanks a lot, COVID!). Since then, he is back in-office, which has brought a new dynamic of working alone at home. Having lost the ability to see co-workers every day, compounded by losing my last real-world co-worker (my husband), I felt isolated and missed the social interactions.

No matter your living situation, the transition from an in-office work setting to a remote setting can be an adjustment. Here are few things that have helped me navigate the transition:

1. Make time to get out of the house — This is not something I was great about in the beginning, but learned was necessary. There would be days where I would be stuck in my house all day and would go stir crazy. Whether it’s 5 minutes sitting outside on my back patio or a short walk/drive to get coffee, I try to block this time during the day. I also like to “commute home” at the end of my days by taking a longer walk around my neighborhood to disconnect and create separation between working and relaxing.
   

2. Find an activity — This was a game changer for me. I am a tennis player and regularly play on weekends but didn’t have a weekday activity. Last year, I signed up for a class at my local yoga/barre studio and now attend regularly. Finding an activity outside of the house not only made me feel physically good, but also helped me disconnect from work.
   

3. Set an end time — Of course we all have busy times where we might have to work later, but in general, I try and set a time for myself to log off. If you find yourself not adhering to this rule, set a re-occurring calendar reminder to support a regular schedule.
   

4. Be intentional about making time to make personal connections — this one is especially important to me with my love for socializing. I think about this one in two parts:
   

   1. Make time (virtually) for things outside of your usual scope — If your colleagues don’t live near you, make time virtually to catch up. I try and join my organization’s “Coffee with a Colleague” program regularly which allows me to meet new people in various parts of the business. If your organization does not have a program like this, it’s something you easily can setup on your own and only takes a few minutes out of your day. In addition, finding professional groups to join has been important to me. For instance, I am an Accessories Council Junior Board member which has allowed me to meet and interact with new people.
      

   2. Take advantage of in-person opportunities — When I travel to my NYC office, I try and make the most of my time in the city by setting up breakfast or lunch meetings with internal and external colleagues that I don’t see on a regular basis. If you don’t typically travel for work, look for co-workers in your city or find local professional groups. I found that many organizations offer local chapter events. Most recently, I was able to attend a Philadelphia PRSA networking and panel event as well as a local WIIM event where I made some great connections in my own city.

Consider these tips as a springboard to explore your own ways to better balance work and personal time, whether working in a fully remote or hybrid environment.

Written by Ally Kamelhar