I like separating work from my personal life, so working from home seemed impossible. Turns out I only needed to tear apart time, space and matter.

Working from home can be its own worst-case scenario for those of us who need work-life boundaries in order to hit peak productivity. Separating professional time, space and matter from the personal is critical for our performance.

Working from home is a balance of time, space and matter. Credit: Kristen Sadler

I do my best work when there are clear boundaries between the professional and the personal. The very thought of working from home used to send shivers down my spine because I’m a Segmentor. I thrive when I separate ‘work’ from ‘life’.

Now, after almost two years working from home, I’m pleased to share that the transition was surprisingly smooth, and I’m more productive than ever. The critical factor was dedicating energy in the very early days to working out what my needs were then creating separate time, space and matter.

First, I acknowledged my needs. I know I’m a Segmentor — I need work-life boundaries. At the other end of the spectrum sit my Integrator friends who are much more comfortable blending their professional and personal lives. FYI, the WorkLife podcast…