11 Ways to Maintain Work-Life Balance When Working Remotely

Are you trying to maintain work-life balance? Obtaining work-life balance is the goal of many remote workers, particularly those with children. For some, it’s a state of being that they’re constantly striving to maintain. For others, securing work-life balance is a distant dream they hope to one day achieve.

True work-life balance should allow your day to teeter in one direction or the other depending on your needs. Think of it as a balancing act where some days will tip toward life and other days tip toward work. And every now and then, you’ll achieve a day in the middle where both work and life are aligned magically.

Here are 11 tips to maintain work-life balance:

Search for opportunities that are prone to work-life balance and prepare for the remote transition.

Find a position that offers flexibility, which will promote work-life balance. Remote.co has online work from home jobs listed right now.
If you have a job you love, but it doesn’t have the flexibility you need, advocate for yourself and your needs. Make a plan to discuss flexibility options with your supervisor and come to the meeting prepared with the steps needed to achieve this goal.

Set your remote working schedule and stick to it.

Gauge where you’re at with your workload by midday. Doing so will allow you to determine what remaining key tasks you must accomplish before you clock out.
If you must work extra hours due to a heavy workload, consider waking up earlier to work while your family is still sleeping and then clock out at the same time. Attempt to do this on a limited basis by planning your workweek carefully and pushing yourself during work hours.
Most importantly, set an end-time each day and adhere to it.

Remove distractions so you can remain focused and on schedule.

Are you in the habit of watching television while working? Take this distraction away by removing the television from your office. Perhaps listen to classical music instead since it’s been found to promote cognitive thinking.
Build in break times throughout the day that will help you stay alert. Take a walk, meditate, or do some yoga to help you stretch, release tension, and return to work refreshed.
Try a change of scenery. If you’re finding the distractions at home to be too cumbersome, work from a local coffee shop or library and see if this alleviates the issue. If so, consider changing your venue once or twice a week to be more productive.

Find more time in your day to maintain work-life balance.

Get your children involved in household chores and ask your spouse or another family adult, like a grandmother, to supervise these activities.
Order online. Whenever possible, order items online instead of making trips to the store, which can be a time drain and more expensive. Shopping online is often more economical and prevents you from buying impulsively in the checkout aisle.
Hire a cleaning service. If working from home distracts you because of the chores that you see that need to be done, hire a cleaning service to handle these tasks. If a service seems too expensive, consider hiring a responsible teenager to do specific tasks such as folding laundry and doing dishes.

Looking for a remote job? Check out these remote job listings.