The Importance of setting boundaries
Having the flexibility and freedom to work from home has been amazing! Since I left my day job and started my business full-time, I’ve never been happier. But there was an adjustment I had to make with setting some new boundaries for work.
Recently, many people who had gone into an office their entire adult life have found themselves working solely from home. For many, this was a welcome change. But for others it was difficult to juggle work and family life in the same space.
I’ve found that although I really enjoy remote work, it’s important to set boundaries. By setting boundaries I draw a clear picture for myself and for others what is needed to be productive in my day. There are 3 types of boundaries that are necessary to consider:
Physical Boundaries
The space you work in is very important, it’s where you spend most of your day. Whether you’re home, in the office or somewhere else, you want to think about what your ideal work space will look like.
Ask yourself: Do you like a quiet, distraction-free environment? Do you prefer background noise when you work? Do you like having people nearby or do you prefer being alone? Do you like to listen to music while you work or do you prefer silence?
Once you’re clear on what YOU need in order to focus and be productive, create that ideal environment wherever you are. If you’re working from home but need background noise and people nearby, maybe you can join a workspace in your area. If you’re in an office but really prefer to work in silence, bring a pair of noise cancelling headphones to work.
Boundaries for Yourself
Often our biggest distractions are the ones we create ourselves. There are two types of these distractions: Inner Distractions and Outer Distractions.
Outer distractions are everywhere. These are emails, texts, phone calls, social media, etc. With all the technology available today, it’s easy to be distracted without even realizing it. Once you’ve figured out what is drawing you away from your work, come up with a plan.
If you find that you’re looking at emails all day long, create a plan to ONLY check emails twice a day. If you find that you’re scrolling through endless social media posts a day, set a timer to limit yourself on social media and stick to it.
Inner distractions can also be challenging. How many times have you been working and suddenly came up with a great thought that had to be researched? Twenty minutes go by and you realize you haven’t got any work done on the project you started. If this happens to you, bring a distraction log to the computer. In this notebook when an idea pops into your head, jot it down and then forget about it. That way you continue working and when the time is right you can start researching the ideas in your log.
Boundaries for Others
One thing that can be difficult about working from home is that you are “home”. Family members or friends may unintentionally expect you to run errands or be available for them throughout the day.
Ask yourself: what boundaries do I need to set in order to honor my personal and professional life? Once you’re clear on what that will look like, set up a time to meet with key people in your life. Communicate in a positive but firm way all the things that are important to you and what that would look like.
Take some time today to think about your boundaries and what you can do about them to create your perfect work/life environment.
Do you need help setting up boundaries in your life? I would love to help! Send me a message at lisa@lisademarcocoaching.com.