Teleworking and work-life balance during the coronavirus

The key to work-life balance as a teleworker is being able to set boundaries — both for your work and personal obligations. To get started:

• Develop a routine. Come up with rituals that help you define the beginning and end of your workday. For example, make your bed and get dressed each morning as if you were going into the office. When you're done working each day, change your outfit, take a drive or walk — in place of your normal commute — or do an activity with your kids. Starting and stopping work at around the same time each day might help, too.
• Exercise your willpower. Take care of yourself by eating healthy and working out. Resisting the temptation to do otherwise will help you when you need the discipline to set boundaries for your work and personal life.
• Talk to your manager. Discuss your manager's expectations for your availability and the obstacles you might be facing at home. Ask what time of day is acceptable for you to stop checking your work emails or responding to work requests. Or agree on an alternative schedule with flexibility that allows you to spend some time caring for your kids during the day and make up hours at other times.
• Talk to your family. If you are working from home and also have family at home, try to establish guidelines regarding interruptions. If your children are young, you'll likely need to regularly talk to them about when you are working and can't play, as well as come up with activities or temporary distractions for them. If there is more than one caregiver at home, you might take turns caring for the kids. You might also remind family and friends what times of day you can and can't talk or text.
• Think before you press send. Working from home might mean emailing, messaging or texting every time you want to talk to a co-worker. Reduce the burden on your colleagues by making it clear when a request is urgent or important. If you're in a leadership role, consider how sending late-night emails might affect your employees' ability to unwind and enjoy time away from work.
• Prioritize your work. Focus on your most important work right now. Working all of the time isn't good for you — or your family.

Working from home requires patience, creativity and persistence. Keep experimenting to figure out what works best for you during this uncertain period.