Walk Away

Everyone talks about a work/life balance. That's not new. But when you work at home, work is life and life is work. Where does one stop and the other start?

People will say that work from home is more productive because people work longer hours. Well, they do. But that's not why it is, or should be, more productive. Just like your office counterpart, you need a break. Burning the work candle at both ends only does one thing - it burns you out.

That's why it is even more important, when working from home, to define boundaries and walk away. There has to be a division for you to be off the clock.

Below are some tips to help build the barrier between work and non-work. Even if you didn't do some of these while you were an office dweller, you need to start now. Your non-work life depends on it.

• Define a space for work that you can walk away from. This should not be your kitchen table, your bed, your sofa, or anywhere else you'd find yourself regularly visiting when you're off the clock.
• Take your lunch break. Use it to do a load of laundry, walk the dog, actually eat something healthy (for a change), work out, run an errand, etc. The point is to take a break from work. This should be a minimum of 30 minutes to allow your brain time to regroup.
• Define your office hours. They may be slightly longer than a traditional 8-5 because you can afford it, but set them and stand by them. When the quitting time bell rings, Fred Flintstone your way out of the office and never look back.
• Resist the temptation to check back in. Unless there is a special occasion, don't run back to your office to check on work just because you can. Use that time for something else. Read a really awesome Leading from Afar blog if you can't find anything else to do.
• Unplug entirely. For at least a few minutes, after you log off for the day, go acoustic. No computer, tablet, phone, TV, radio, or whatever your vice. Just chill, disconnected for a few minutes, to let your entire body move on from work.
• Keep your work and non-work technologies separate. If you use the same devices for both, it's easy and tempting while playing Candy Crush or updating Facebook to do some work too. Remove the temptation all together. 

Work at home has given you the gift of time and money. It's a shame to let it all go to waste because you never stop working.