Historically, people have usually left home, often very early in the mornings, travelled to their place of work and after completing a day’s work, travelled back home where they could unwind and spend time with their families. Modern technology, however, has made it so much easier for more people to give up the daily commute in favour of working from home. Coupled with threats like the current COVID-19 pandemic, this has greatly increased the numbers of people working from home. Having the correct mindset is absolutely crucial to making working from home a success.

It is easier to do things differently when you are physically in a different location. A proverb attributed to Augustine of Hippo, “When in Rome, do as the Romans do”, bears this out. When at a place of work it is easy to focus on work and get the work done as that is what your objective is by being there. When you’re at home though, your objectives are typically different. Rest, relaxation, spending time with children and family, are all priorities at home. Bringing work into the home then, requires an adjustment to your mindset in order to continue to be productive.

The best way to approach this challenge is to maintain the distinction between work and home, even in the home. Have a separate area, like a study, that you work from, and a work schedule, including start and end times and set break times, as you would at an office, and stick to it. At the end of each day spend a little time planning your work for the next day, so that when you wake up in the morning you have a definite goal to work towards. Then at the end of your ‘workday’, switch to ‘home’ mode, and rest, relax and enjoy your time with your family.

The key to success when working from home is to maintain the distinction between work and home, even if you are at home when you work. Both are high priorities in life, but neither should be allowed to overrun the other.

By Malik Naipal