Rather than thinking about how to separate the professional from the personal, we should probably focus on how to reconcile it and make it balanced. Working from home is, in fact, a more natural and flexible way.
Last update: 17 March, 2021
Working from home is now a widespread reality all over the world. Thanks to new technologies, physical distance is no longer an obstacle to being able to work in a large company. In fact, you can live in Europe and work for a Chinese company without any problems.
This represents a great opportunity for thousands of workers. However, as often happens, it has also given rise to troubling realities. One of them is the fusion between the professional and personal spheres.
“All people are willing to work creatively. What happens is that most people don't even notice ”.
-Truman Capote-
In theory, our personal and private lives should remain separate. And we use the conditional because, in fact, it happens very rarely. On the other hand, we do not have a switch to turn on and off at will one area of our life rather than another. But let's see in detail how it is possible to work from home by reconciling both aspects.
The myth of separation
The separation between private life and work is an invention of industrialism. At one time, work was naturally part of a person's life. And that was no problem. Working from home was normal, there was no reason to move to another country.
But with the industrial revolution, things changed. Machines have become the focus of production. Work from home is almost completely gone by the wayside. The workers had to go to the place where the machines were located to do their work. The new model also required the definition of fixed working hours.
And that's how people started spending long periods of time on the job. Apparently work and private life were separate areas. But the human being does not live "in compartments", in fact he carries a lot of his personal life with him to work and vice versa.
The offices
Most of the tasks did not require workers around the machines. However, the offices were created as early as the first industrialization. In these spaces the tasks were concentrated to facilitate work and service to users.
With the new technologies everything has changed. Nowadays, almost any office activity can be done from home if you have a computer; the most important and available tool for (almost) everyone. If many companies have not implemented work from home over time, it is mainly due to a lack of vision or a willingness to control.
Therefore, we are back to the time when working from home is something normal. However, the mentality still persists according to which the private and professional spheres should remain separate. Failure to do so causes stress for many people.
Working from home and stress
It is natural for the human being to integrate professional and private life. These are two areas that do not necessarily conflict. On the other hand, what can cause tension is the desire to separate the inseparable and, of course, not succeed. In the same way, the fact of living only one of the dimensions that make up our being also produces tension.
In fact, in one way or another, we always work. The meaning of the word work has to do with activity, effort and transformation. Even when we sleep, our brains continue to process and organize information.
What is certain is that in some moments we work for others, at least relatively. We contribute to the achievement of the goals of others and, at the same time, we get ours which is to have a salary. In other moments, we focus only on our goals and work to achieve them.
Working from home: reconciling and not separating
Working from home has the great advantage of greater freedom in terms of time organization. However, for some, this is overwhelming. It is a freedom that generates chaos and, therefore, they end up working all the time, living as if their work is continually interrupted by some domestic matter.
Some choose to set strict schedules which often end up not respecting. If you work from home, you can't pretend that something isn't burning in the kitchen or your child is crying in the living room. It is impossible to claim to divide life and work in an absolute way. And, in fact, that's not even a good idea.
Perhaps, the best thing is not to try at all costs a way to separate the professional sphere from the private one. Perhaps it is enough to be more flexible and learn to reconcile both. Work from home is done to work for objectives and not according to schedules. Follow the priorities of the day and don't be the victim of tight deadlines.
