How to separate work from leisure during COVID-19
Put your hand up if the COVID-19 restrictions mean you’re now working from home!
If we were all in the same room, a staggering number of you would have your hands up right now.
The number of Canadians working from home has quadrupled during COVID-19.* That’s a lot of people!
For those who were working from home before COVID-19, they may have already had systems in place. For many others, we’re left wondering how to cope with working, cooking, cleaning, and relaxing all in the same space.
I’ve been helping a lot of my clients create systems for this situation, as having a separation between your work and leisure can have a large impact on your mental well-being.
Here are eight ways you can separate your workspace from your leisure space today to ensure you’re setting healthy boundaries for yourself while working from home.
1. Set an alarm
Getting to work at a certain time used to be a big motivator for starting work on time. If you’re finding it difficult to motivate yourself to start on time while working from home, set an alarm for your start time, preferably a really obnoxious one that you can’t ignore ;) Cue the air horn!
2. Prepare your space in the morning
Bring everything you need to your workspace, as though you were packing your bag for work. Think through each part of the day to gather what you need. Organize it around your desk so that you don’t need to run all over the house throughout the day. Don’t forget your water, coffee/tea and snacks!
3. Set a morning coffee/tea routine
Try starting each morning with a 10-minute Zoom coffee date with friends. It motivates you to get there on time and provides an external incentive to commit to a certain time. Share with your friends your top three priorities for the day.
What better way to begin your day than with your friends cheering you on?
4. Take a lunchtime jaunt
Leave home for lunchtime or part of lunchtime if you can. Eat outside if you live in a warm enough place, take a lunchtime drive or go for a walk. Leaving the building can give you a sense of time passing through the day, and help give you a sense of normalcy.
Also, moving your body can get your energy flowing in a way that combats the stagnancy of sitting all day.
5. Dance it off
This is one of my favourites. At the end of the workday, set an alarm for when you’re finished and have a dance party! Put on your favourite song, and rock out. Keep your curtains open, maybe you can entertain your neighbours as well. Dancing has the wonderful power of shifting your emotional energy at the end of the day. It’s a signal to your body that it’s time to release the stress and hunched shoulders and shift into leisure mode.
6. Out of sight, out of mind
Find a home for your work supplies in the evening in a cupboard, desk, or closet. This is especially important if your desk is within sight of your bedroom, kitchen, or living space (aka if you don’t have a separate office). Putting your work supplies out of sight means that you don’t have to be reminded of your work to-do list every time you glance over at your desk. Also, this may require a fun online trip to Ikea for storage solutions! (Line-up free)
7. Tidy up
Give your work area a quick clean-up to signify the end of the workday. Dust, wipe things down, sweep. This doesn’t have to be an in-depth clean, but having a quick clean-up routine can help signal to your brain that a squeaky clean desk equals a shift in energy and the end of your work for the day.
8. Clear the air
At the end of the workday, as you pack-up, light some incense, turn on a diffuser, put on a salt lamp or spray some room spray. This can be another way to signify to your brain that the space is now changing. When you smell an odour, information is sent to the olfactory bulb in the brain, and directly to the limbic system. This area of the brain is in charge of emotion and memory, that’s why smelling your favourite scents can impact your mood and invoke certain memories. Pick a smell to associate with the end of your day and relaxation.
Why not give three of four of these a try this week to help separate your workspace from your leisure space. The point of this experimenting is to let go of your work at the end of the day, shut the door, and spend time with your loved ones.
Let me know which ones you try, and how your experimenting goes!
If you’d like help managing your stress due to COVID-19, click here to book a free 15-minute phone consultation to find clarity in moving forwards.
Resources
These are some GREAT products to get you started! (not-affiliated)
Saje Room Sprays
https://www.saje.com/ca/room-sprays/
Saje Diffusers
https://www.saje.com/ca/diffusers/
Ikea Storage Boxes and Baskets
https://www.ikea.com/ca/en/cat/storage-boxes-baskets-10550/
Cleaning Products - well.ca