Guidelines for identifying and combating over work for creative worker while working from home.
Background
COVID-19 greatly accelerated the adoption of work from home, and exposed many more people to the challenges of keeping a healthy work-life balance without the barrier of commuting. At the same time more and more people are choosing to freelance.
The goal of this research project is to provide several overarching suggestions on building and maintaining better work-life balance while working from home.
The goal of this research project is to provide several overarching suggestions on building and maintaining better work-life balance while working from home.
Guidelines
Schedule management
Having a schedule
Analyzing cost and benefit
Knowing your price
Understanding each job
Including the opportunity cost
Knowing your benefit
Planning off time
Workday management
Finding your work style
Prioritizing
Setting achievable goals
Taking a timed break
Having a work area
Includes movement in the environment
Prioritizing
Setting achievable goals
Taking a timed break
Having a work area
Includes movement in the environment
Reflection & improvement
Tracking your time
Making small changes
Regularly repeating the process
Making small changes
Regularly repeating the process
*More detailed descriptions of the guidelines is included in the paper.
Approach
The guidelines are compiled through cross referencing different sources including:
◦ Design website
◦ Self-published by existing freelancer
◦ YouTube video
◦ Blog post
◦ Industry report
◦ Academic research paper
◦ Design website
◦ Self-published by existing freelancer
◦ YouTube video
◦ Blog post
◦ Industry report
◦ Academic research paper
Summary
With its independent nature, individual differences further complicate this issue. Every worker is different, makes it impossible to create a system that will fit everyone. Creating overarching guildlines could be a better way to combat this problem. This project could serve as an introduction on building a systematic working from home habit which will maintain a work-life balance. In the future, more in person study could be done to refine the suggestions.
