Raise your hand if you’re still working from home in 2025!
If we were all in the same room, I imagine a surprising number of hands would go up. While the urgency of the pandemic has passed, many people have continued to work remotely—whether full-time or in a hybrid setup. And while there are real perks to working from home, it also comes with a big challenge: maintaining boundaries between work and the rest of your life.
Without the natural transitions of commuting or stepping into a separate office space, it’s easy for work to spill into your evenings and blur with your personal life. Over time, this lack of separation can impact your focus, relationships, and mental well-being.
If you’ve been feeling this, you’re not alone. Many of my clients are navigating the same thing, and I’ve been supporting them to create simple rituals that help reestablish that important divide between work and leisure—so you can protect your energy and feel more present in your life.
Here are eight ways to bring more structure and ease into your work-from-home life:
1. Set a Start-Time Alarm
When you’re not commuting, it’s easy to let the morning drift by. Try setting a start-time alarm (bonus points if it’s slightly annoying!) to help cue your body and brain that it’s time to begin the day.
2. Create a Morning Setup Ritual
Act like you’re “arriving” at work: gather everything you’ll need—laptop, charger, notepad, water, coffee, snacks—and set it up in one go. This reduces distractions and gives you a strong start.
3. Start with Connection
If you’re craving a sense of structure and connection, consider starting your day with a short coffee chat over Zoom or phone with a friend or coworker. Share your top three priorities for the day. It’s a gentle accountability anchor—and a boost of encouragement.
4. Take a Midday Reset
Even a 10-minute walk can work wonders. Getting outside at lunch—whether for a stroll, a drive, or just fresh air on your porch—helps mark the passage of time and revives your energy for the second half of the day.
5. Have a Closing Ritual (Bonus: Dance Party!)
Pick a consistent end-of-day time and set an alarm to mark it. Then put on a song you love and dance it out. This playful release can help shake off the day, lift your mood, and help your nervous system shift gears.
6. Put Work Out of Sight
If you don’t have a separate home office, make a habit of packing away your work tools at the end of the day—into a box, basket, or cupboard. This visual separation matters more than you’d think. It’s your way of saying, “Work is done for today.”
7. Tidy Your Desk to Clear Your Mind
A 2-minute tidy—wiping your desk, organizing papers, resetting your space—can signal to your brain that it’s time to wind down. Over time, this becomes a powerful mental cue.
8. Clear the Air (Literally)
Light incense, turn on a diffuser, spray your favourite room spray, or switch on a salt lamp to signal a shift in energy. Scents are directly connected to the emotional centre of the brain and can be a beautiful way to move from “doing” into “being.”
Try a Few This Week
You don’t have to do all of these—just try three or four to start. Experiment and notice which ones help you feel a greater sense of ease and separation between work and leisure. These micro-boundaries aren’t about perfection—they’re about reclaiming your time, space, and well-being.
Let me know which ones you try and how it goes. I’d love to hear what feels helpful for you!
If you’d like support navigating the stress of remote work or setting stronger boundaries in your life, I offer a free 15-minute consultation. Click here to book.
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