Before the pandemic, I’m sure that many of us dreamed of the flexibility to work from home. Back then, it seemed like a great idea. Of course, you wouldn’t have to brave the traffic. You’d be working in your pajamas and saving money on transportation or lunch in the process. But then you learned that you didn’t know how to set boundaries with family when working from home.
With the onset of the pandemic, virtually all office-type workers were forced to work from home. This presented many problems because not only were we at home, but our families were also confined to the house. Parents not only have to finish their office work but take care of children and organize their schooling. Not to mention, we are all tired of eating the lunches that we ourselves cooked. I’m sure you can do with some great ways to set boundaries with family when working from home.
“Not to mention, we are all tired of eating the lunches that we ourselves cooked.”
-Adanna Swan
As things open up again, the workplace is adjusting to a hybrid model of home and in-office time. As such, there are challenges with workers’ ability to manage this long term.
What are some of the challenges that occur with working from home
While working from home saves commute time, it comes with special challenges. Younger children and retired parents won’t understand that your workload is the same as in-office. In many cases, the workload has increased. Family members may interrupt you frequently and have expectations that are unrealistic.
Your children, too young to understand the pandemic, may become frustrated by the fact that they’re unable to play with their friends. They can’t understand that you’re at home, but not available to play or read to them. And of course, we’ve all heard our co-workers’ kids butting into meetings over Zoom. It happens. As for our parents, present-day work options greatly differ from their time being employed. Work from home was virtually unheard of back then. They may not understand that your presence is not an invitation to hear stories from the past. This is anotehr opportunity to learn how to set boundaries with family when working from home.
Even your spouse may not be understanding, especially if they don’t work from home during this time. There might be an expectation that you will handle all the chores. That’s because, in their minds, you’re at home all the time. But this could be further from the reality. How to set boundaries with family when working from home becomes even more pressing with these instances.
“There might be an expectation that you will handle all the chores. That’s because in their minds, you’re at home all the time. But this could be further from the reality.”
– Adanna Swan
What are the consequences of these challenges?
These assumptions and misunderstandings have serious consequences on your work-life balance and quality of life. With all of this pressure, many yearn to return to the office because that time out of the home creates a clear demarcation between family responsibilities and work. Setting boundaries is key for any infopreneur striving to do needle-moving activities in their business.
Here are 5 great ways how to set boundaries with family when working from home:
1. Have a conversation with your family about what you’re doing
There needs to be an ongoing dialogue with other family members about ‘the new normal. While the pandemic’s effects may seem obvious to us, these concepts may take longer for our parents and children to grasp. I went into the kitchen last week and my mother said to me, “You all are so strange. You work from right there in your room. There wasn’t that in my day.”
To me, working from home on my desktop, then switching to my laptop, and then answering the last few emails for the evening on my phone is pretty much the only professional life that I’ve known. Because of this, you’d need to speak to them more than once about how work looks like for you, and that you’re not in office for 3 days, and off of work for 2, but you are in fact fully at work for 5 days a week. This will require an in-depth discussion to start it off, then reinforced by reminders every now and again. Doing this is an amazing lesson in how to set boundaries with family when working from home.
2. Set aside an area to do your work and make that area permanently your office space/corner
Having a dedicated space for work establishes a strong boundary. It’s a top tip that I saw when researching how to set boundaries with family when working from home. This will allow you to contain work stress in one place, rather than have multiple areas throughout the house associated with the tense nature that your work may have at times. Converting a spare bedroom into an at-home office is best, but not everyone has that privilege.
In this case, claiming your stake in a corner of a shared space in the home may just have to do. This prevents you from becoming disorganized and forgetting documents all over your home. Having your family understand that this is ‘your space’ now, helps create healthy separation.
3. Create non verbal boundaries like signs etc
Non-verbal boundaries like signs, closed doors, and the avoidance of pajamas send strong visual boundary cues. A mix of these creates structure and gives support to the conversations that you’ve had with your family members previously. Remember, learning how to set boundaries with family when working from home is an ongoing process. While kids will still be kids, at least in correcting them you’ll be able to clearly point out the boundary they crossed if they opened a closed door, interrupting you in a video meeting.
4. Create a schedule and stick to it
Create a schedule so that your family expects you to be busy during a certain timeframe. Having a schedule creates a routine that allows predictability. Completing your work within a set time also creates an opportunity to prioritize rest. Rest is often cannibalized by overrun deadlines caused by procrastination. This can be avoided by having a schedule that has realistic breaks. However, this can only work if you stick to it.
5. Be compassionate towards family members
Lastly, have compassion for others in your household. While they may get on your nerves, it’s because they too are trying to adjust to the ‘new normal’. For many, they are overjoyed that they’ve gotten to spend more time with you. On the other hand, you might be the one intruding on them with your requests for silence for hours on end. So think of them when when deciding how to set boundaries with family when working from home. There have been many days that my parents can’t use the living room for several hours because I’m in there doing a focus group.
I haven’t spent such long periods at home with my parents since high school. Because of this, when they randomly come to ‘ole talk’ (as Trinis say) while I’m working. I understand because I haven’t been around like this for a long time. Plus, it’s really me intruding with cordoning off areas of the house. Lol! Count your blessings, even if they pop up in the background of your Zoom. In these times, life is truly a gift.
How has working from home been for you? Did you learn some great ways how to set boundaries with family when working from home? Tell me in the comments below!
