How to Keep Academic, Professional, and Personal Matters Separate While Learning and Working From Home
Except for the few people who had already been working or studying remotely, most Americans would agree that, this year, they have spent more time than ever before within the confines of their own home.
When social distancing reached its peak in early April 2020, Americans reported spending an incredible 93% of their time at their place of residence. Spending most of one’s day at home undoubtedly comes with a learning curve, especially for extraverts and the restless. But it’s not just these populations who are struggling with the “new normal”—almost everyone has undergone some form of stress while trying to juggle work, school, and home life.
If you find yourself vexed by the confluence of personal, professional, and academic matters prompted by COVID-19, rest assured in knowing that there are several simple strategies you can follow to take back control, particularly as a new school year approaches.
Continue to follow your old routine
When you’re LFH or WFH, it can be all too easy to fall out of the routine that kept you disciplined. The reason is obvious: in the comfort of your own home, you likely don’t have to answer to anyone about the way you look, where you sit, etc.
Despite this reality, health experts recommend that we adhere to our routines despite the lackadaisical nature of LFH and WFH; Northwestern Medicine asserts that maintaining a routine correlates with improved stress levels, sleep, and overall health.
Why does having a routine reduce your stress, you might wonder? With routines, there’s less need for decision-making—your activities are predetermined. As Piedmont Healthcare points out, “Every time you have to make a decision, you are adding some stress to your life.” Routines eliminate that unnecessary stress, so you can reserve your energy for bigger and unforeseen circumstances.
So, even if your days of commuting to school or work are behind you, get ready in the morning in the same way you used to. Change out of your pajamas and freshen up. Not only will doing so be beneficial to your mental and physical well-being, it will also help you differentiate work from play.
Once your school or work day is over, you can change into more cozy clothes, shower again if you’d like, or have a celebratory snack to mark the transition into off-the-clock hours. It may feel silly at first, but it’s a simple way to trick yourself into shifting from work to leisure mode, and vice versa.
Adhere to a schedule
Time management is also of the essence when it comes to marking boundaries at home between school, work, and family. Routines and time management instinctively go together; following a routine fosters efficient time management skills, and efficiently managing your time ensures you can attend to all aspects of your routine. According to Lifehack, individuals with solid time management skills tend to achieve their goals more quickly, have more energy, and find more time for their hobbies.
An example of a straightforward yet efficient schedule could look something like this:
9:15-10:00: Chemistry lesson
10:00-10:45: Spanish lesson
10:45-11:15: Break
11:15-12:00: English lesson
12:00-1:15: Lunch
1:15-2:00: Math lesson
2:00-2:45: Yoga
Regardless of the particulars of your schedule, always be sure to include time for brief, frequent breaks. Even five-minute breaks are associated with increased levels of productivity, creativity, and motivation.
Note: having a fixed schedule “in mind” is not enough for everyone. Most people need their schedules to be written down or printed and posted within plain sight, so that they feel more accountable. However, if you’re not someone who’s “time aware” (i.e. you struggle to gauge time and/or barely look at the clock), following a schedule can seem especially tough. Such individuals are thus encouraged to turn to more drastic measures, such as setting alarms on a computer or phone, or using an old-fashioned kitchen timer.
Follow the rule of “one space, one realm”
One of the reasons that many people prefer to work and study outside of their homes is the change of scenery it affords. In an April 2020 survey by Metova, 29% of Americans indicated that they are less productive working from home.
This perceived unproductiveness could be due to a variety of factors, but one that is sure to top the charts is “cabin fever,” the dismaying lack of variety in one’s surroundings. Healthline states that, while cabin fever is not a recognized psychological disorder, “The distress is very real. It can make fulfilling the requirements of everyday life difficult.”
Even though there’s nothing quite like getting out, those who struggle with cabin fever should follow the rule of “one space, one realm.” An example of this principle could be limiting family discussions to spaces like the kitchen or living room, while reserving work or school matters for the office or dining room. Practicing this physical separation technique will help to literally mark boundaries, so long as family members understand and respect the agreed upon conditions.
Tiffany Sorensen holds a Master of Science in Spanish-English Translation from New York University. She works remotely from sunny Mexico, where she gives English and Spanish classes, writes educational articles, and designs practice tests for the ACT.