Working From Home: Lessons in Boundaries, Balance, and Pajamas

I remember the first job I had that let me work from home one day a week. I thought I had won the life balance lottery.

Finally—I’d get things done and have time for myself, my home, and my family.

It was a disaster.

I spent those days in my pajamas until noon, juggling dirty laundry, snack demands, and cranky toddlers while hopping on conference calls. I felt like I got nothing done—and ended each day feeling like a lousy employee and a lousy mom.

Then came COVID. As a first-grade teacher, transitioning to remote teaching full-time was a whole new beast. I was sure that not commuting would gift me back 30 precious minutes of sanity each day. 

Wrong again.

What really happened? I found myself working off and on from 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. There were no boundaries—and I had no idea how to set them. Work bled into every corner of my life, and balance? Nowhere to be found.

Whether you're working remotely full-time, part-time, or just bringing work home with you in the evenings, the key to not losing your mind is simple: you need a system.

Here are three simple strategies that have made all the difference for me—and might help you, too:

1. Designate a Work Zone

If your laptop travels with you from the couch to the kitchen table, to the bathroom (don’t lie), and into bed, then work will follow you everywhere—physically and mentally.

You don’t need a fancy home office. You just need a dedicated space where your brain knows:

“This is where work happens.”

It creates a subtle but powerful boundary between your work life and your real life.

2. Schedule Your Work (and Communicate It)

Need to wrap something up in the evening? Schedule it. Don’t try to fit it in between homework help and stirring the mac and cheese while replying to emails (we’ve all been there).

Set aside a specific time, tell your family in advance, and focus fully during that block.

You’ll get more done, in less time, with less frustration—and you'll be free to actually enjoy your evening afterward.

3. Give Yourself Grace

Working from home is not a failure of work-life balance—it’s often what makes balance possible.

Maybe it’s what allowed you to leave early for your child’s soccer game or eat dinner together as a family. That matters.

Don’t focus on the hours. Focus on the presence.

Ten fully engaged minutes with your child will always beat two distracted hours where you’re only half-listening.

Bottom line? Working from home takes practice, intention, and boundaries. You won’t get it perfect. But with a few small changes, you can work more effectively—and live more fully.