07 Aug Set Boundaries from Home

Is working remotely wreaking havoc with your work-life balance? Here’s how to reclaim your personal time.

Stick to a schedule. While it doesn’t have to be the traditional nine-to-five, be clear with yourself what your working hours will be. Just as you would shut off your computer at a designated time in the office, give yourself the same courtesy at home.

Make your absence known. Group chat and calendaring apps can show when you’re available, so they can let colleagues know when you’re inaccessible too. Set your group-chat status to away or offline when the workday ends, and on the group calendar, block out time when you don’t want to be disturbed.

Pause your email. The productivity tool Boomerang has a feature that lets you stop emails from popping up in your in-box until you’re ready to deal with them.

Schedule correspondence for workdays. Even if you do decide to work late nights and weekends, don’t broadcast it to colleagues, or they’ll think they can contact you anytime. If you do craft emails—or answer them—during off-hours, schedule them to arrive the next workday morning.

Disconnect when you have time off. Whether you’re on a vacation, staycation, or simply taking a mental health day, set your voice mail and autoresponders to let everyone know you won’t be checking messages—and keep your word.