Working From Home: How To Set Boundaries With Yourself

I was recently interviewed for an article about remote work, you can read the full thing here.

Some of my suggestions:

• I try to give myself a clear goal for each week, something that I think should be better than the week before. It means even in a leadership position with a lot of meetings, I stay grounded in my individual impact. It also allows for some flexibility and knowing when I’ve done “enough”. For instance if my schedule gets disrupted for whatever reason, I know what I think I should accomplish that week and focus on getting that done. I would encourage everyone, but especially people who are inclined to be hard on themselves or overwork, to figure out their definition of what is “enough”.
• I feel like I repeatedly have to learn that taking breaks makes me more effective. When I’m overwhelmed, my instinct is to work more. It’s amazing how stepping away from the computer can help. Sometimes I go for a walk and use a notes app on my phone to work through something that is truly important and needs to be thought through free of distraction. Sometimes I get on the spin bike and sweat off the stress so I can focus.
• Core, is being able to focus when I’m working and disconnect when I’m not, for me this means having a schedule for work and also having some kind of schedule for life. I’m fortunate to have a separate home office, but even when I didn’t, these things were useful habits.
  • Consistently being at my desk by a specific time (I’m not a morning person, so 10am).
  • Leaving the computer in the evening and focusing on something else (even if it’s just chores)
  • Keeping work applications off my phone
  • Making sure to take breaks – when I notice I’m feeling unproductive I normally need to either eat or exercise.
  • Finding reasons to leave the house! I have very back to back meetings days on Mondays and Tuesdays, so scheduling lunch with a friend on Wednesday or Thursday can help create a sense of balance.