Having physical boundaries when working remotely can go a long way. You don’t need a dedicated room for this, it can be something as simple as having a set table or area to yourself. Having a dedicated workspace allows you to leave work in one area and end the day as you physically walk away. This also can help create boundaries with your kids so they know that when you’re in that space, you’re working and your attention is focused on that.

You can even take it one step further by continuing with your usual work routines, like getting ready and dressing for work. Research by Blake Ashforth, a management researcher, of Arizona State University has emphasised the importance of transitioning to work can be smoother if you participate in ‘boundary-crossing activities’. Such as putting on work clothes or easing into those routines. Even if it feels counter-intuitive, switching to work clothes and getting ready can help change the mindset that you are at work.

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One of the more common changes that people working from home have noticed is that their working hours have become later. It’s harder to unplug from work when your work literally is brought to your home.

Blair Heitmann, LinkedIn Career Expert, shares your usual routines before working from home can stay the same. That way, it’ll help you get into the work mindset and stay productive as you start your day. Though your schedule and working hours may change daily, your rituals and routines can stay the same.

For example, you can listen to a podcast or a playlist before starting your work to get into the mindset of a commute. Or you could end your day by minimising or closing your work windows on your browser to signal the switch. And if you find yourself squeezing a lunch break while doing work, you can alternatively set an alarm to signal the start and end of your lunch break. The schedule and routines will look different for everyone, but you can test it out to decide which works best for you.

While working from home, research at Oxford Academic has shown that we are more compelled to work on immediate tasks rather than important tasks because they seem more productive. But we actually need to be prioritising important work.

Burnout is not a new concept, even before the norms of working from home, statistics show that the average knowledge worker only has around three hours of productivity a day. And those three hours should be removed from distractions or multitasking habits to maximise that productivity. Of course, with the constraints of working from home, this has proven to be more difficult.

You can try to make adjustments to your work schedule based on your environment at home. If there is a chunk of time where you have more time and space to yourself, try to plan your most important tasks during that block to maximise productivity. That way, it also ensures that you “feel” more productive, and will help you avoid burnout in the long run.

For your productivity’s sake, it’s important to make small adjustments where you can so you don’t feel the need to constantly check your email. According to an Academy of Management study, when there’s an expectation that work-related emails need to be responded to during non-work hours, it can damage the employees’ well-being and job performance.

If this is a new adjustment for you, consider starting small. For example, you can turn off push notifications on your phone, or if you must check your email, set a timer so that you’re only checking it for 15 minutes at one time. Dr Suzanne Gelb, psychologist and life coach, also recommends taking some time to reflect why you might be feeling stressed about needing to check your email. Find out your motivations and work from there.

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