It’s been a while since I last wrote about work boundaries, and oh, how things have changed. I’ve recently returned from maternity leave, and let me tell you, nothing puts your work-life balance into sharper focus quite like a tiny human depending on you 24/7. So, I thought it was time for an update on how I’m approaching work boundaries. Spoiler alert: I’m still a work in progress, but aren’t we all?

The Cornerstones: Working Hours and Focus Time

First things first, let’s talk about working hours. I’ve completely overhauled mine to accommodate my new life as a working mum. Currently, I’m working compressed hours Tuesday to Friday, with Mondays off. I split my time between the office and home, working two days in each location. This hybrid arrangement brings its own set of challenges and opportunities when it comes to maintaining boundaries.

For my office days, the commute naturally bookends my workday, providing a clear transition between home and work life. On my work-from-home days, however, it’s a different story. The flexibility is wonderful, but it’s all too easy to skip lunch or work even later, and before you know it, you’ve put in extra hours without even realising. I do work flexibly on top of my compressed hours but I’m keeping an eye on the overall hours to ensure I don’t burn myself out with overwork.

To combat this on my home days, I’ve implemented a morning routine that mimics my commute. It helps me mentally prepare for the day and ensures I start at a consistent time. Stopping work is still a bit of a challenge, but a new evening routine with my wee one helps a lot.

One of my best new practices, regardless of where I’m working, is scheduling focus time at the start of each workday. This dedicated time allows me to tackle my most important tasks when my energy is at its peak, without interruptions. It’s been a game-changer for my productivity and stress levels.

The Email Conundrum: Maintaining a Calm Inbox

Ah, emails. The bane of modern work life, am I right? I’m still a firm believer in the Calm Inbox approach I mentioned in my previous post. However, I’ve made some adjustments to make it work better with my new schedule.

I now have dedicated time slots to check and manage emails, whether I’m in the office or at home. This helps me avoid the constant distraction of incoming messages while ensuring I’m still responsive to my colleagues and students. I’ve also become more ruthless with my inbox organisation. Emails from mailing lists are automatically directed to specific folders, keeping my main inbox clearer.

A new trick I’ve learned is using the ‘send later’ function for emails I write outside my designated email times or while working a bit more flexibly outwith the 9-5. This helps maintain the boundary with others, even on days when I’m not sticking to it perfectly myself. Remember, we’re aiming for progress, not perfection!

Tech to the Rescue: Using Tools to Reinforce Boundaries

I’ve recently discovered that I can use Power Automate to connect my Outlook calendar with my Teams status. Once implemented this should automatically update my availability based on my calendar events, which is brilliant for maintaining boundaries without constant manual updates, especially with my varied work locations. (As time of posting I haven’t implemented this yet > waiting for January to try)

I’ve started relying more on Teams for quick checks of my upcoming meetings, rather than opening Outlook and risking email distraction. I love that I can get to pretty much everything except email from Teams. This is particularly helpful to help me maintain my boundaries and reduce distractions.

Sharing is Caring: Communicating Your Boundaries

I can’t stress this enough: sharing your boundaries is crucial. It might feel a bit awkward at first, but it’s the only way people will know how and when to best contact you. I’ve updated my email signature to reflect my new working hours, locations, and communication preferences. Here’s my current signature, feel free to adapt it for your own use:

This is a Calm Inbox in aid of digital wellbeing. I normally have dedicated email time scheduled in my day, so I might not respond immediately.  I sometimes work flexibly to balance my health needs and family commitments, which means I may schedule emails to arrive within typical business hours. I don’t expect immediate replies to my emails – please respond when it suits your schedule. Where suitable I have provided a response needed by date. 

Please note my working pattern:
Mon: Non-working day
Tue & Fri working from home
Wed & Thu working on campus

Final Thoughts

Returning to work after maternity leave has been a journey of rediscovering and redefining my boundaries, especially with my new compressed hours and split location arrangement. It’s not always easy, and there are days when it all goes out the window. But having these structures in place helps me navigate the challenges of balancing work and family life.

Remember, setting boundaries is a personal process. What works for me might not work for you, and that’s okay. The important thing is to keep trying, adjusting, and most importantly, be kind to yourself along the way.

How about you? Have you set any new work boundaries recently, especially if you’re juggling different work locations? I’d love to hear about your experiences.