The Fine Line Between Work and Life When You Work from Home

Many of you know that since graduating college last spring, I've been blogging full-time. Along with a fun little side hustle of VA work/social media managing, blogging is my full-time gig and I couldn't be any more in love with what I do! Never did I imagine that this would be my work AND fun, but now that it is I'm grateful every day. But besides all the sappy stuff, the truth of the matter is that when I have busy days, I have BUSY days. Every day is busy, but some more than others and let's be honest - some I'm more motivated and productive than others. ;) Now while working for myself means that being busy is a good thing, it's still often hard to recognize where exactly that super fine line between your life and your work is. Some days I work at my dining room table, others I'm at my desk (I really need to work on that!). I even find myself getting work done at all hours of the day - I break when I can and while I don't hate that, I know how important it is to prevent burn out or feeling anything but love for my job.
If you're anything like this, you know all too well that work doesn't always end - you more so take a "break" to grab dinner or go run errands or once in a while, sleep. I always find myself watching TV at night and paying half attention to Scandal as I write a post or finish some work, then have to re-watch because I didn't allow myself some down time - anyone else?! Side note: if you're a fellow Gladiator, you know all too well you can't miss a second of that show!!
Finding a happy medium between where you draw the "work" line each day isn't easy, but I know I can't be the only one in these shoes so I put together some of the ways that have helped me to make it easier to recognize said line and not go beyond it. It's helped me focus, take my work time to actually GET things done more efficiently, re-evaluate each day's goals and most importantly, continue to love what I do every single day!

I take time to do what I love that isn't blogging/work related. Blogging is what I think about literally 24/7 - new post ideas, what's working/not strategy wise, networking with my blogging friends (#blessed) and whatever else is going on in the ever changing blog world; but other things I LOVE to do are go for runs (ok fast walks, let's be honest) and getting fresh air, family time, catching up on my favorite shows, dinner with friends, shopping (obvi), the list goes on but you get the picture! Before, I'd always just tell myself that this kind of free time would happen when it could - when my to do list had everything crossed off, I'd get to have that free time. But that time wasn't coming - my to-do lists were overwhelming me and I was making unreasonable daily goals. I stopped all of that, made reasonable goals, got the most important things done first and immediately saw a huge difference. Now in my free time if I decide I want to write a blog post or shoot some pictures, I don't feel rushed and LOVE to do it.

I multitask, but not enough that it makes me unproductive. I know that everyone and their mothers brothers aunts and cousins says that multitasking makes you less productive and doesn't do anything but hurt your productivity, but does anyone agree that that isn't always the case? I almost always have some sort of background noise/something going on while I work. I can't work in silence - just like I could never study in pure silence when I'd prepare for a test in school. It's totally different for everyone, but I know it can't just be me!

If there's a series I'm binging on Netflix or a Housewives reunion I missed that week, I watch it while I get things done. If it's something that doesn't need my full focus or just serves as background noise, I find it helpful to my productivity. I know this isn't for everyone, but it's worth a try if you're struggling! The same goes for being able to get things on your list crossed off - if you're able to multitask, it's worth a shot!

Once 8 PM hits, I tell myself any work from here on out is because I WANT to do it tonight. If it can wait until tomorrow and I'm still working on it after 8 PM, it's because I want to - not because I waited all day to do it and have to now. Granted it happens and some nights require longer hours, but overall setting this time to be "done" has improved how I get things done AND how I classify when it's work time and when it's well, anything but that. ;)

Using a timer helps me get things done at a faster pace without getting distracted. I've talked about this a little bit before, but setting a timer on my phone for anything really helps me get things done SO much quicker. I don't get as distracted because I'm competitive AF and like to beat the clock and don't focus so much on surrounding noises/distractions. I know I said I like to multitask, but some things require your undivided attention, of course!

I give myself breaks throughout the day. If it's lunch time, I watch some TV and enjoy my food. I don't answer emails and I don't focus on work for that 20-30 minutes. This is another catch-22 (kind of) because sometimes I do eat and work, but the more often I give myself a REAL lunch break, the more often I feel motivated to get back to work afterwards. Taking breaks is *so* important and realistically, it's something you'd do even if you did (or do!) work in an office environment. There's nothing worse than running on a hamster wheel non-stop for hours on end. It's not realistic and the more you try to work that way, the more burnt out you'll be.

The very best part about working for yourself is that you are your own boss. You make the rules, you decide what's what and you're in control. That's hands down one of the most rewarding things if you ask me! To keep up the great work, have a great playlist by your side. Here's what I'm listening to right now over and over (and over again):

As much as we love what we do, having a clear line - no matter how fine that line may be - between LIFE and work is crucial to success. The more I practice it, the more I believe it and realize just how true it is. Life is too short to be tied up with your computer, so figure out what works for you and get sh*t done so you can enjoy all the benefits of being your own boss.
I'm always looking for ways to improve on my daily work/life balance, so if you have anything you'd add I would LOVE to hear it!
XOXO -A