The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the daily workflow and work environment of millions of wedding and event professionals over the past year. While many event planners work from home on a regular basis, we were not accustomed to being forced to spend endless workdays in the relative safety of our homes, often with kids, significant others, or roommates now in the same space.

Working from home can be rewarding, and it certainly does a lot to help with curbing the spread of germs, but it’s not without its problems. It can be challenging to separate work from home life, especially for those of us who are parents and have children doing remote school from home.

How to maintain a healthy work-life balance, keep your sanity, and be productive:

Dress For Work

When you work from home, it can be tempting to lay in bed until the last minute before heading to your desk (or kitchen table or even your couch), a bowl of cereal in hand, while still dressed in your pajamas. This is a sure-fire way to limit your productivity. A daily ritual of dressing for work, even when your commute is limited to your hallway, can have a substantial psychological impact.

Pajamas subconsciously put your mind into relaxation mode and say it’s time to take a break from the world. It can be hard to shake this mindset when you sit down at your desk wearing slippers and a robe. We’re not saying you should be dressing in formal workwear. Casual is fine. The act of getting dressed for work, even if it’s shorts and a t-shirt, will put you in the right mindset to focus and get stuff done.

Work Your Normal Hours

Successfully separating your home life from work often means sticking as close to a regular work routine as possible. It can be tempting to work late into the night, but it’s surprising how quickly this can become your new normal.

If you don’t want to become estranged from your family because you’re always at your computer, stick to a strict work schedule. Turn the computer off at your normal workday end time.

Ideally, it is best to use a different phone for work or use a free service such as Google Voice to have a separate work number that is forwarded to your cell phone and can be scheduled to go straight to voicemail at a set time each day. Maintaining balance and some semblance of sanity becomes possible when your home life isn’t constantly interrupted by email, phone calls, and work notifications.

Use the Right Tools

When working from home, you must have the right tools to manage your
workflow. A competent client portal, CRM (customer relationship manager), and inventory management tool are all essential for ensuring your schedule stays on track, and you keep your customers in the loop.

Learn more about True Client Pro’s all in one business management platform and how it could improve your workflow and save time.

Keep a Separate Space Exclusively for Work

If you have the room, create a separate office space that is exclusively for work. It will be even more effective if there’s a door. A closed door tells your family that you are working and the usual rules of a parent at work apply. Being able to put your work area out of view during your time-off will also help keep your work nicely separated from family time.

Take Active Breaks

Working in an office or studio means you’re regularly getting up from your desk to converse with your staff, meeting with clients, designing, or heading out to meetings. Sitting at your desk at home, day after day, often means uninterrupted hours of inactivity – especially if you’re comfortable.

With much of our communications and meetings now online, there’s no reason for you to get up out of your chair. Small bursts of activity can improve your levels of productivity.

It is helpful to expose yourself to a few minutes of sunlight and fresh air every day for mental and physical health reasons. Use an app or set a recurring notification to remind you when it’s time to stretch the legs and take a breather.

Most Importantly – Stay Connected

Working from home, even when there’s no pandemic, can be lonely. If you’re at home with your family, be sure to spend quality time together during non-working hours.

If you miss the camaraderie of seeing your staff, friends, and industry peers, set up a non-business video conference to stay in touch, catch up on general life, and keep up with the latest gossip. The technology we have today means that there is no reason you can’t enjoy a coffee or wine with your besties, even if you are separated by a few miles.

Technology is a great tool and we are always learning to utilize it to our advantage.

*This is a sponsored post from True Client Pro