For many of us, the line between work and home life is blurry. Of course, our work is an essential part of our lives, but does it ever come at the expense of our personal lives? I don’t think it should, which is why I’m such a big advocate for creating healthy work-life boundaries.

Establishing limits and restrictions at work is critical to ensuring those responsibilities don’t drain your personal life. Below are three tips for creating healthy work-life boundaries.

Create physical boundaries

When work-from-home became the new norm in 2020, creating physical boundaries between work and home life became exponentially more difficult. Our bedrooms became conference rooms, our dining tables turned into desks, and for some of us, our closets because sound-proof areas to take important calls.

It’s safe to say creating physical boundaries while working remotely isn’t easy, but it’s also not impossible. Set a designated area where you want all your work-related items to live. Then, you’ll know that whenever you’re in this area, it’s work time, when you’re not, permit yourself to be present in your home life.

Set your office hours

For most of us working regular business hours, the typical workday is anywhere from 8 am to 5 pm. When accounting for breaks, this is typically 8 hours. If this sounds accurate for your situation, then take these hours and establish boundaries around them.

By setting office hours, you can hold yourself accountable to complete your work during your pre-determined work time. For your co-workers, it also lets them know that they shouldn’t expect anything from your outside of that time. Silencing your phone and email notifications during this time can also help further establish these boundaries.

Communicate with your team (and family)

One of the biggest challenges of working from home is feeling like you’re not available for your family while working, and that you’re not available for work when you’re with family. This draining game of tug-o-war is mentally and emotionally exhausting. After you’ve created physical boundaries and set your office hours, communicate those expectations with your team and family.

These conversations can be difficult to initiate, but you’d be surprised how understanding and adaptable both sides can be. By communicating with your team and family, you’re establishing both boundaries and expectations, two critical components to ensure your work and home life are a success.