Remote work, which was already growing in popularity before the COVID-19 pandemic, has become a defining feature of modern work life. What started as a temporary adjustment has turned into a long-term way of working, offering a sense of flexibility and security in today’s stressful times and uncertain global crises. While the perks of working from home are surely undeniable, establishing boundaries is considered to be one of its hardest challenges compared to on-site work.

How does working from home blur the line between life and work?

People who work from home usually find themselves stuck in the in-between of work and life, never truly focusing on one or the other. Work and home get blended together as remote work signals 24/7 availability, and being constantly reachable through multiple apps makes it hard to know when work truly ends. Moreover, the never-ending notifications and emails take a psychological toll, demanding mental effort to ignore and often triggering anxiety and stress. At the same time, working from home places double demands on our attention; the responsibilities of home life do not suddenly disappear just because we are working remotely. Quite the opposite: balance becomes elusive, and the expectation to be present everywhere can lead to burnout, fragmenting our sense of time and attention.

What is boundary management?

Boundary management involves the processes through which individuals establish, maintain, and modify boundaries to navigate the demands of work and non-work roles effectively. Remote work reshapes the structure of boundaries between work and non-work roles. Research suggests that individuals who prefer to separate work from life may experience greater difficulty in remote settings. The weakening of boundaries creates a misalignment between their preferences and their environment, which can disrupt balance and increase strain. Therefore, one might question the ways in which workers can establish practical boundaries.

Types of boundaries to set:

1. Behavioral boundaries:

• Leveraging technologies: creating an alarm that reminds you to stop working.
• Emulating work time: recreating the same environment as an on-site office

2. Temporal boundaries:

• Controlling work time.
• Purposefully disconnecting.
• Reducing the overlap between work and home: doing household tasks before work to avoid distractions.

3. Physical boundaries:

• Buying a desk rather than working on the dining table.
• Using a different laptop for work, separate from your personal laptop.

4. Communication boundaries:

• Setting expectations: telling household members that you will be unavailable during your working hours.

To sum up, boundaries are not limitations; they are tools for a healthier remote work life. By setting clear boundaries, you can reclaim control over the vagueness that consumes your workday and wellbeing.

Resources:

Allen, T.D., Merlo, K., Lawrence, R.C., Slutsky, J. and Gray, C.E. (2021), Boundary Management and Work-Nonwork Balance While Working from Home. Applied Psychology, 70: 60-84. https://doi.org/10.1111/apps.12300