Working from home may seem like a dream come true, but some find it difficult to maintain a healthy work-life balance.  Here are few tips and strategies for effectively managing your virtual office and finding balance: 

1. Create a dedicated space to do your work – not your bed and preferably, not your bedroom. Your sleep and productivity may each suffer from working in the place you associate with sleep. Essentially, having a dedicated and organized workspace helps you separate work from home and keeps you focused and motivated.
2. Maintain the same morning routine you would if you were working in a physical office. By sticking close to the same routine each day, your mind will more easily “shift gears” when it’s time to start and end your workday.
3. Take breaks! Most people take breaks throughout the day in a physical office. Whether it’s a little time to socialize with co-workers, or to grab a cup of coffee from the breakroom, workers in a physical office rarely sit at their computer screen for hours on end. The benefit of having a virtual office is that your breaks can include playing with a pet or going outside for a brisk walk and some fresh air. Stretch, move around, or do something physically active to increase your productivity and help you relax so that your mind is refreshed and ready to focus on work again!
4. Speaking of breaks, be sure to take a lunch break away from your work area and make healthy food choices for snacks and lunch. By changing location for lunch, you’ll get a physical and mental re-set which will help you power through the rest of the workday.  
5. Have a regular time to end your workday. Log off, set your business email to “do not disturb”, and remove yourself from your work space. Don’t feel obligated to work “after hours”. Purposefully make a mental/emotional transition to home life. It’s all about finding balance.
6. Many people thrive on the social interactions of a traditional office. Be intentional to make these connections through other avenues such as an exercise class, gym membership, meeting friends for dinner, etc. 

Finding balance can be difficult. Consider outsourcing some of your tasks to give you a break and to promote a better professional image. Summit Executive Suites offers a variety of services to virtual clients. Answering your calls in your business name and having your mail delivered to a business address are just a few of the services we offer. You can find more information about becoming a Virtual Client here.

Focus on Growth, We’ll Handle the Rest!

For additional information contact
Janet Luesing, CPM
502.802.2928