Creating Boundaries in a Boundaryless Work World: A Quick Guide

Five ways to work better when your home is your office and your schedule is entirely up to you

Image: Created by the author with Midjourney AI

So there I was, still in my pyjamas at 3:45pm on a Tuesday, laptop balanced precariously on my knees, half-eaten sandwich forgotten beside me, when my kid wandered in and asked, “Is this what working looks like?”

Nothing like your kid holding up a mirror to your professional dignity.

I’d been “remote working” for about three months at that point while my company was finding a new office (this was pre-pandemic, mind you, back when working from home still felt like some kind of radical experiment rather than, you know, just Tuesday).

But essentially, I was living the dream! No commute, no business casual, no manager hovering over my shoulder. FREEDOM, baby!

Except… I was also kind of a mess.

I’d finally escaped the suffocating structure of traditional office life only to find myself floundering in all that beautiful open space. It’s like I’d been complaining about being in prison, and then when they finally unlocked the cell door, I just sat there going, “But… but where do I go now? And when should I eat lunch? And WHO’S GOING TO TELL ME WHEN TO STOP…