Table of Contents
In 2019, you left the office and work stayed there. Now, it follows you.
The pandemic forced a massive change. Work moved into bedrooms, kitchens, and spare rooms. We proved we could adapt. Productivity didn’t collapse. In many cases, it went up.
But something else changed too.
Without meaning to, many of us lost the boundaries that helped our days make sense. There’s no longer a clear start or end. No commute to mark the shift. No easy separation between your job and the rest of your life. Work became something that can happen at any time, and often does.
That’s not always a good thing.
What We Gained
Let’s be clear: flexible work has real benefits.
- You save time and money by not commuting.
- You can build your day around your needs.
- There’s often more space for deep, focused work.
- It opens doors for people who were excluded from office-based jobs.
A lot of people are thriving in this setup. But even they’ll admit: some parts are harder now.
What We Lost
Offices were flawed. But they gave our days structure. They had signals built in — lunch breaks, casual chats, the walk home — that told us when to start, stop, and shift gears.
Without those, it’s easy to feel like you’re always sort of working. You check emails at night. You answer Slack messages during lunch. You start early but never quite stop.
It’s not just tiring. It changes how you feel about your time.
You might find yourself asking: Did I actually finish anything today? Or, Why do I feel like I’ve been at work for 12 hours even though I never left the house?
Why This Matters
When you blur the lines between work and life, both sides suffer. You don’t rest properly, so your energy runs low. You don’t focus properly, so work takes longer. It becomes a loop.
But it doesn’t have to stay that way.
You don’t need to go back to the office to feel better. You just need to add back some of the structure and boundaries that made the day feel human.
Here’s how.
Practical Ways to Rebuild Structure
You don’t need a big plan. You need a few simple habits. Ones that tell your brain: this is work time, this is home time, and it’s okay to stop.
Create a clear start
- Go for a short walk before you log in.
- Change your clothes, even if it’s just into a work hoodie.
- Use a short morning routine — tea, reading, journaling — to mark the shift.
Create an end point
- Shut your laptop and put it out of sight.
- Write down what you got done — even if it’s just one or two things.
- Use a physical cue like changing lighting or turning on music you only play after work.
Set real boundaries
- Mute work notifications after a certain time.
- Add a note to your email signature about when you check messages.
- Block out breaks in your calendar the same way you’d block a meeting.
Build in transition time
- Don’t jump from Zoom to Zoom. Leave a 10-minute gap where you can stand up or get outside.
- Use that time to reset. Don’t fill it with scrolling.
It’s Not About Productivity
These habits won’t just help you get more done. They’ll help you feel more present — at work, and at home.
That’s the real goal. Not to optimise yourself like a machine, but to feel more like a person again. Someone who can focus when it’s time to work, and rest when it’s time to stop.
The office might be gone, but that doesn’t mean you have to work all the time. You still get to choose how your day feels.
Sometimes all it takes is a walk around the block, a shut laptop, and a reminder that your time is your own.