Whether you recently started working from home or have done it for a while, you likely know the challenge already. Maintaining a healthy work-life balance is not always easy, because your home now doubles as your office.

When your computer is at home, it can be easy to log on early or work late to finish something. However, if you work from home, it is even more important to maintain a good balance.

According to Pew Research Center, 73% of workers with teleworkable jobs who work from home at least sometimes say the arrangement has helped them balance their work and personal life. This shift is a clear example of how remote work is reshaping industries far beyond where people physically sit.

It might take some time to get it right. However, the tips in this post should help you get on the right track. Read on to learn more:

How Do You Create a Work Schedule?

If you are looking to truly get the right balance between home and work, start with a schedule. Stick to it as much as possible. Without one, either side could take over, causing problems for you. When you don’t want to feel locked into a normal 9-to-5 routine, try creating a rough schedule instead. For example, you could work until 5 pm on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. However, on Thursday and Friday, you could stop at 2 pm. Giving you the feel of more flexibility but with guidelines to make sure you finish work when you should.

According to Forbes Advisor, 71% of remote workers say that remote work helps them balance their work and personal life, since flexible, self-set schedules give them more control over their day.

Should You Consider Different Locations?

Just because it is known as work from home, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you need to be in your home to do it. It just means that you don’t need to be working in the office.

You could go to the public library, book a hot desk, or head to your local coffee shop. Getting your emails done somewhere else helps you separate work from home life. Small changes like this show how flexible work is reshaping careers for people who once had a fixed office routine.

One step further to working in different locations is to try workcations. This is where you travel to a destination and work in a calmer and vacation atmosphere. You could travel all around the world while still getting your work completed remotely. So you could be working during the morning and then venturing around the new country in the afternoon. This could create the ultimate work-life balance that many people are looking for. Trends like this offer real future of work insights for professionals rethinking what a workday should look like.

How Can You Communicate Better With Your Employer?

Since expectations can vary by workplace, one of the keys to working from home successfully is to communicate with your employer. Make sure you have everything you need to do your job, and talk about the guidelines for working from home. Conversations like these reflect broader work trends across every industry as expectations around remote work evolve. Are there certain hours that your employer is expecting you to be available? Also, do you have complete flexibility? It also works the other way too. Set clear boundaries with your employer. Let them know what time you are clocking off and won’t be available to just ‘jump back on’.

Overall, these simple tips should help you build a good work-life balance when you work from home. Do you have any other tips that might help? Questions like this are a good reminder of how the nature of work is shifting for nearly everyone. Also, please share them in the comments below.