Managing a heavy workload in our regular day jobs all while staying social and having time to ourselves can seem like a monolithic task at times. For those people that don’t work to the tune of a regular 9 to 5 and perhaps work freelance (or even those that do some additional stuff on the side of their main source of income), it can become even harder to draw a fine line between where work begins and ends.  

Making sure that you don’t overbear yourself or burn out with stress is extremely important to your mental wellbeing, and aside from anything else, it can affect the quality of your work even though you might think you’re working harder. So, what steps can be taken to manage a stressful schedule? Well, here are some steps that you might not yet have thought of, from managing your time efficiently to maintaining a positive workspace.  

Making plans  

It might sound simple and even arbitrary if you’re the sort of person that just wants to impulsively get the most important things done first at every given moment, but sitting down and drawing up a work schedule that you’re comfortable with will not only help to ensure that you’re not overworking yourself, but also that you’re actually doing work when you’re supposed to, rather than allowing things to build up and giving yourself more unnecessary stress in the future.  

Doing freelance work on the side as a way of getting extra cash? Try to stay in work mode for as long as you can once you clock off your primary job, and get as much done as soon as you get in. That way, you can fully relax for the evening once you’re finished, and you’ll be able to get to bed at a decent time, too.  

A productive workspace  

Many studies have shown that having a clear desk space will allow you to better focus in on the task at hand, and concentrate without your mind racing and getting drawn away to something else. If you want to make your workspace feel more productive, you could start by stripping things back to basics and giving your desk a good old-fashioned clear out, cleaning everything and getting rid of the things that you don’t need. Anything that you don’t use regularly should be put away in cupboards, draws or cabinets, and retrieved only when needed, giving you even more space.  

Working freelance as a primary or secondary source of income? When creating and perfecting your own home office, there is a range of things that you should be taking into account:  

• Try and separate and segregate your office/study space from every other room in the home, and remove any distractions. This way, you’ll be able to clearly differentiate between work time and normal.  

• Try and emulate your work desk space, and keep things as clear as possible. Again, make sure that your monitor and keyboard aren’t straining on your eyes and hands, and also make sure that your seated position isn’t going to negatively affect your posture.  

• Turn off your mobile phone entirely where possible, and maybe even leave it in another room while you’re working. If you’re someone that needs your mobile phone to complete their work, then you could try downloading one of those restrictive apps like OFFTIME, which will stop you from going on things like social media when you’re supposed to be working.  

For inspiration on a modern home design that you could replicate, take a look at some of the properties offered by RWinvest, a property company with luxury apartments and flats around Liverpool and Manchester. Their upcoming One Baltic Square development, for example, features a sleek, efficient use of space, perfect for young professionals and entrepreneurs that are on the go and need to use their homes to work.  

Tip – Working in an office and spending your days sitting in front of a screen? Perhaps unsurprisingly, this can have quite the adverse effect on your eyes. To make sure that they aren’t strained too much, try to take breaks where possible, and also play around with the settings on your monitor to find a setting that you’re pleased with. When sleeping, try and get off screens at least half an hour before you get in bed, as the light emission can affect your sleep patterns and make it harder for you to get to rest. 

Photo by Thought Catalog on Unsplash

Author: Mandy Kloppers

Mandy is a qualified therapist who treats depression, anxiety, OCD, PTSD, trauma, and many other types of mental health issues. She provides online therapy around the world for those needing support and also provides relationship counselling.