How can IT Strategy professionals balance their work and home life while working remotely?

It’s important to remember that working from home doesn't mean you are available 24/7. Maintaining a healthy work-life balance is crucial for your well-being and long-term job satisfaction. Just like in an office, establish specific work hours for yourself and communicate these to your colleagues, clients, and family. This helps in setting a clear distinction between your work time and personal time. It's important to communicate your availability explicitly. Let your colleagues and clients know when you are unavailable for work-related discussions or emails. It's also important to discipline yourself not to engage in work-related activities outside your designated work hours unless absolutely necessary.

1. Define Your Space: Establish a dedicated workspace, separating your professional world from your home life. It’s like creating a mini-office sanctuary. 2. Schedule Smartly: Implement a consistent work schedule. It’s like setting the stage for a daily performance where you’re the star. 3. Communicate Boundaries: Clearly express your availability to colleagues, clients, and family. It’s like drawing an invisible line that respects both your work and personal life. 4. Use Tech Wisely: Leverage tools like calendars and do-not-disturb modes to manage your time. Think of them as your digital assistants, helping you stay on track without burnout. 5. Embrace Routine: Create a sense of structure with regular breaks and end-of-day rituals.

In my opinion, having a dedicated space is the best way to separate your work and personal life while working remote. A dedicated room is great, but even a corner of a multipurpose room will help. The goal is to contain the space in which you work, so that when you’re in that space you’re ‘at work’ but more importantly when you’re not in that space you’re off.

As a 25-year telecommuting professional, I've always considered "working from home" as just "working." Despite the ongoing debate on remote work-life balance post-COVID, setting clear boundaries is crucial, whether at home or the office. It's unrealistic to expect no family obligations outside of work or that remote work is less productive. Define your work commitments, meet deadlines, allocate time for meetings, tasks, and breaks. Have a clear work plan and stick to it. I prioritize work productivity and efficiency with family demands. In the past, I hired a nanny to handle childcare and household tasks during work hours.

This is a tough one for somebody that has started when Internet was not even a thing. When there was not mobile devices work was work, home was home. Today things are very different, boundaries have blurred to a level where you cannot see them for a lot of different jobs. The point for me goes back to the "Be here now", or in other words, learn to be "on and off" multiple times during your day. You can do this when you work from home or when you are at the office.

Prioritizing well-being while working remotely involves intentional routines: regular exercise, healthy eating, mental breaks, and social connections. Designate time for self-care and hobbies. Stay disciplined in starting and ending work at set times to ensure rest and avoid burnout. Listen to your body’s and mind's needs to maintain optimal health and performance. — 💡 As someone working remotely, I’m now starting to make well-being a top priority on my list.

After about 20 years of tech work and lots of hours, I finally realized that it's the excessive screen time and singular visual focus that has been a major cause of debilitating migraines and headaches for decades. Today I'm learning how crucial eye health and specific self-care practices impact my well-being. Specifically, it's important to follow the natural light and circadian rhythms of the body which means NO SCREENS after dark! The result may be headaches or eye pain. While I've had temporary relief from a variety of alternative practices including acupuncture, the most surprisingly effective has been castor oil packs on my eyes at night with a warm pack on top of that.

Is there anybody that really believes that you can be at your top when you are not taking care of yourself? I think that if we all look deep inside ourselves we can see that we need to take care of our well-being if we are not doing it. Prioritizing our well-being is paramount for us as human beings and leaders. Taking care of our well-being takes different forms and shapes, it is not the same for everybody. The common thing is that it is an intentional act and it helps us to be the better version of ourselves.

Get up early. I find it less stressful to not start the day already "behind". I check emails/chats first thing (6:30-7:00) well before the day begins to catch up and get in front of any surprises from overnight. 95% of the time, its nothing and I can exercise with a clear head, shower, breakfast and by the time I am logging on for the day at 8:00, there are no major surprises. If weather is good, I will also try to work in a 20min walk at lunch time. I give-up some of my early morning and late evening time checking-in, but get time back with a mid-day walk - this flexibility has paid back me and the company many times over in "real productivity".

While there is flexibility in both work and home life when working remotely, I would also like to caution against switching context frequently, as there is an attention cost to be paid for switching. I find that carving out periods of uninterruptable time for deep work works best for me, whilst I will do my chores or errands pre or post meals.

Maintaining a balance between work and home life as an IT Strategy professional working remotely involves setting clear boundaries, creating a dedicated workspace, and establishing a routine. Embrace flexibility by communicating openly with your team about expectations and deadlines. Don't forget to take regular breaks to avoid burnout and make time for activities you enjoy outside of work.

Technology, what a topic when we talk about IT Strategy. Choosing the right technology is key, selecting too many is probably not good. We can now have video calls, whiteboarding, persistent chat, integrations with tools to make the user experience exceptional. Learning to use the technology is key, and learning how to be effective is key too. Wehn we are given a technology to be collaborative from home we should invest time to learn it well and time to learn how to be effective with it.

Maintaining a balance between work and home life as an IT Strategy professional working remotely involves setting clear boundaries. Establish a dedicated workspace, define specific working hours, and communicate your availability to colleagues. Leverage technology tools for efficient collaboration and task management, allowing you to streamline work processes. Additionally, schedule regular breaks to avoid burnout and make time for personal activities to ensure a healthy work-life balance

Leverage technology for work-life balance by using scheduling tools to plan and separate work tasks from personal activities. Utilize communication apps to stay connected yet set 'do not disturb' during off-hours. Employ wellness apps for meditation and exercise reminders. Rely on automation to streamline repetitive tasks, saving time for relaxation and family.

Technology can be a double-edged sword. To leverage it effectively use it to assist you with time management and reminders, and to eliminate repetitive manual tasks. But remember you are the one in charge. Forgetting this aspect can actually make you busier doing unimportant things. The value comes from technology helping you do better and be better. Choose wisely.

For a few years (long before COVID) I worked out of my basement from home in the US with my team in US, Europe and India. After a few months my leader tells me that I am losing my touch, losing sight of priorities and the quality of my work was suffering. For many hours each day I was cut off from my family and the "real world". At that point I realized that working from home you need more touch points to collect feedback, know what is going on and have those hallway casual conversation that help most of us stay connected. During COVID those muscles were built and things worked fine. Building channels for constant feedback, casual conversations and learning experience is key when you work remotely in the digital world.

Balancing work and home life while working remotely as an IT Strategy professional can be challenging. Set clear boundaries for work hours, communicate with your team about your availability, and schedule regular check-ins to seek feedback and support. Prioritize self-care, and don't hesitate to ask for help when needed.

Stay connected. In the office you likely could assemble a brain trust in minutes to work through a challenge or take advantage of an opportunity. Working remotely it is up to you to keep this alive. Include in your daily schedule time to connect with your co-workers, family, and friends who can act effectively as your coach. People love to help, but you have to ask. And look for opportunities to help others with the benefit of learning yourself.

I believe there are several winning formulas depending on the several styles of people around. Our body craves for routine, so why not try to implement the same behavior you use at the office ? Below 3 bullets (out of several!) of what works for me: 1) Make PAUSES: At the office there are PAUSES. You talk to coworkers, stretch your legs, etc, so do the same. If you need it, a timer (like Pomodoro) is your friend. 2) Family LIMITS: We all love our family and that´s why it´s important to explain that at the same time you´re at home you´re also NOT at home ;-) You can save lunch time and coffee time for interactions! 3) A comfortable place: stand or sit, it´s your choice, jut be comfortable. Bonus: Drink Water ! Lots of it. :)

I firmly believe that planning is the secret. Have clear goals on both aspects of life and plan well, on a daily basis. Don’t be ashamed if you need to push things to the next day or cycle, it is ok to adjust the route! The most important aspect is not loose focus of the end goal on both sides personal and professional. Life is a forever exercise of balancing things.

As an IT Strategy professional working remotely, achieving a work-life balance requires setting clear boundaries. Establish a dedicated workspace and adhere to a regular schedule to mentally separate work from personal life. Utilize technology efficiently for task management, but ensure to disconnect after hours to avoid being always online. Prioritize tasks and communicate regularly with your team to manage expectations. Incorporating breaks and physical activity into your day is crucial for preventing burnout. Finally, engage in hobbies and seek support when overwhelmed. By following these practices, you can maintain productivity while also enjoying personal time and well-being.

I have found discipline (or lack thereof :-) is strongly correlated to working effectively and efficiently when working remotely.

✅🔆 In the remote IT strategy sphere, work-life harmony is key. ✏️ Set boundaries - dedicated work hours for peak productivity, and sacred personal time for replenishment. ✏️ Embrace the remote perk of no commute to blend serious focus with precious life moments. ✏️ Strategize your day for career growth and personal bliss.