Create Balance When You Work From Home

Last updated: April 2026

Creating working from home balance is vitally important to protect your health, productivity and overall wellbeing.

It is vitally important to create balance when you work from home. Over the last few months there has been a dramatic shift in the way people are working. Gone are the days where everyone would be working in a communal office. We have now largely had to adapt to the fact that a large portion of our time will be spent working from home.

As such we need to ensure that we are going about it the right way and our health (mental, physical and emotional) are not compromised.

Creating structure is key, which is why understanding why consistency in training is so difficult to maintain can help you build better daily habits.

Create a designated work space

Creating a designated work space allows for separation between work and home.

Whilst this might be a bit difficult for everyone, it is very important that you have an area of your house or apartment that is for work and work only.

Why?

Because you need to establish a difference between home and work so that you are better able to switch into work mode when necessary.

Make your dinner table, spare room, office or whichever space you choose feel like your work desk.

Remove any distractions that you wouldn’t have on your normal work desk
Ensure that you do not have the TV on
Make sure that if possible you are able to shut a door on your space

HINT: Sitting on the couch and pretending that you will be as effective in your work as a normal desk will never happen.

Create blocks of time

Creating ‘blocks’ of time allows for improved daily structure.

Now that you have a designated work space, creating ‘blocks’ of time will allow for a bit more structure in your day.

We always recommend (where possible) that you get up and move around every few hours in order to get the legs moving and blood flowing.

If you are unsure how to structure this properly, it can help to understand how often you should be training and structuring your routine.

Imagine this for a perfect day:

8:00am – 10:00am WORK
10:00am – 10:15am STRETCH
10:15am – 12:15pm WORK
12:15pm – 1:00pm LUNCH/STRETCH/MOVEMENT
1:00pm – 3:00pm WORK
3:00pm – 3:15pm STRETCH
3:15pm – 5:15pm WORK

Take regular breaks

Breaking up your day will improve concentration and productivity levels.

You will notice in the above that there are breaks scheduled every few hours. What you do with those breaks is vitally important.

You should be:

Sitting on the balcony getting fresh air
Going for a walk
Doing a few flights of stairs
Eating a healthy meal
Stretching
Doing an online group exercise class

You should not be:

Sitting on your phone
Watching TV
Eating junk food
Doing house chores

Turn off and switch off

Ensure you switch off from work every day.

One of the biggest issues with the way we live life at the moment is that we are always connected and accessible.

Where possible, ensure that you are creating expectations around your availability.

Allow 2–3 hours to unwind at the end of the day. The work will still be there tomorrow.

Hint: Deactivate your work email from your phone if possible.

Eat well, sleep well and move more

Being kind to your body is incredibly important.

It can be very easy to slip into a negative cycle of bad food, poor sleep and no movement.

Create structure around meals
Remove temptation
Move more through exercise
Reduce alcohol
Maintain a normal sleep cycle

Move more by participating in online group exercise, outdoor personal training or online personal training.

If you are new to this, it can also help to understand what happens when you start personal training and how structure is introduced from the beginning.

Final thoughts

It is entirely possible to create balance when you work from home. The most important theme throughout this is that you must commit to structure throughout the day.

Be kind to yourself and stay healthy.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I stay productive working from home?

Creating structure through designated work spaces, time blocks and regular breaks is key.

How often should I move during the day?

Ideally every 1–2 hours to improve circulation and focus.

Why is balance important when working from home?

Without boundaries, work can negatively impact mental, physical and emotional health.

Ready to make a change? We are here to help.

If you’re struggling with consistency, structure or motivation while working from home, we can help.

At Authentic Personal Training in Crows Nest, we create structured programs that fit into your lifestyle and help you stay accountable.

Start with our 3 sessions for $30 intro offer and build a routine that actually works.