The Work From Home Paradox
Dear Maggie,
Do you find it challenging to work from home? How do you stay motivated, and how do you find balance?
Sincerely,
Sinking in St. Pete
Dear Sinking,
Working from home has pros and cons just like most things in life. On the plus side, I have great flexibility and autonomy. I can throw a load of laundry into the wash during a snack break. I can plan a hike on a Friday morning, and simply get those missed hours in on Saturday. I can work according to my own natural rhythm, and I can switch it up when I need to. On the down side, it’s hard to shut off completely, and sometimes I get stuck in a rut.
Here are a few things I’ve learned over the years that help me stay healthy, productive, and balanced while working from home…
I live and die by my calendar. Seriously. I have a complicated system of notebooks, online calendars, and to-do lists that keep me organized and on task. The key with regard to keeping balanced, though, is to plan in the down time. On my small daily planner, I will pencil in ‘hike with the girls’ or ‘book club night’ or ‘dinner out’ or ‘art class.’ You get the idea!
I don’t put too many things on my daily to-do list. Okay, that’s a lie. Sometimes I totally do, but when I realize I’m overextended, or I’m forcing myself to work at a pace that’s unrealistic, I adjust.
I routinely take an entire day off. This might be one of the most challenging, yet impactful things on the list. Since I can access the internet, answer emails, write a few words, or work on a paper at any time, it’s hard to unplug. Ray and I have our own individual work calendars, but every Sunday, we sit together and plan our time off. On the road, it’s been fun to have adventure days at National Parks, museums, botanical gardens, historical sites, parks, etc. On those days, we agree no social media, emails, calls, meetings, or anything else that resembles work. It’s much, much harder than it sounds! If we don’t have an adventure planned, we might agree to watch football or go to the pool, or I might spend a few hours reading. When I can get a day like this in once every couple of weeks, I consider it a win. Really, it should happen every week, but even after a decade, I’m still a work-from-home work-in-progress, LOL.
Finally, I make time for friends. The thing I miss most about having a permanent home is my community. It’s so important to have a group of folks who you can laugh and cry with, or simply call when you need advice. Making time for those relationships in the chaos of life is essential.
I hope these tips are helpful. I love my career, and the flexibility that goes with it, but I also have to be mindful of the pitfalls and make conscious choices that support my well-being and productivity. If you have any good advice about working from home, or you have another question for me, send it to maggie@msmaggieclare.com, and I’ll share it here on the blog!
