When you go through a transition from working in an office, to working from home, it’s easy to see how an ordered life might descend into chaos. The routine of getting ready for work, commuting, and getting to work is replaced by waking up, checking your phone for urgent messages, or possibly reaching for your laptop, and spending a good hour (or more) answering emails, even before reaching for your first cup of coffee. Let’s not even talk about what happens to a work-from-home routine if children are involved!
But working from home doesn’t need to be chaotic. Marie Kondo says the best way to go about it is to be organized, and that includes making sure that there are clear boundaries between your work life, and your home life. “I like to have a ritual, whether it’s meditation or chiming my tuning fork, that allows me to shift gears in my mind and let my body know that I am entering work mode,” Kondo told Time. And because she isn’t the tidy queen for nothing, Kondo suggests keeping all your work tools on a tray, which you can put away at the end of your work session; the ritual of putting things away may help you keep your work life, and private life as distinct as possible.
Marie Kondo's tips help you make the most of working from home
When you’re in work mode, Kondo also suggests coming up with a written list of priorities that need to be tackled. She says communication is important when you are working from home, particularly if you have a partner and children, so that everyone is on the same page. “The act of writing it out helps you visualize what you’re thinking, understand where you have tangled emotions and come to a resolution. It’s very important that we’re aware of family members and partners’ work schedules for the day so we can complement each other, support each other and align our priorities,” Kondo says.
Even when you are working from home, you should learn how to take breaks. On her site, KonMari, Kondo says, “Another way to manage your time effectively is by scheduling downtime. Block out windows on your calendar each week to turn off notifications, take a walk or simply let your mind wander. Your creativity will be replenished and your brain will be sharper.”
And at the end of your work day — if things didn’t go as you had hoped, Kondo says it’s also important to learn to let things go, and be grateful for what you were actually able to do, instead of focusing on what was not accomplished.
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