I Have Been Working From Home for Years—This Is How to Do It Successfully
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Given that many companies are implementing work-from-home policies to help flatten the curve and prevent the spread of COVID-19 (Create & Cultivate included!), we decided to reach out to some real work from home-office pros to find out how it’s done. Because, as enticing as working from home sounds in theory, it takes a surprising amount of discipline to stay productive and on-task with all the distractions that come with being at home (we’re looking at you, Netflix, pile of laundry, and sink full of dishes).
Ahead, six full-time WFH experts—spanning a senior fashion and beauty editor who’s been working from home for 7 (!) years to an editorial director who’s been working from home for 2 1/2 years to an acclaimed author who’s been working from home for just 8 months—share their tips and tricks for staying motivated and productive while working from home. Keep scrolling to find out how to establish a morning routine that will set you up for success and how to wind down and disconnect at the end of the day.
What time do you wake up? What’s the first thing you do upon waking?
I usually wake up between 6:15 and 6:30 am, depending on how many times I hit the snooze button. It's a habit I'm trying to break, but the first thing I do when I wake up is check my phone. My office's HQ is in New York, so by the time I get up, I've gotten a handful of emails and messages already.
Can you walk us through your morning routine? How does it set you up for a successful and productive workday?
I'll have my morning coffee, turn on NPR to listen to the news, and continue checking my emails and, yes, Instagram. I aim to get to the gym by 7:30 am unless I sign up for an earlier Barry’s or SoulCycle class. Checking my emails and my schedule and fitting in a workout in the morning put me in the best mindset for a successful and productive day. If I don't get a workout in, I'll spend the whole day thinking about how I'm going to squeeze it in later. I feel like it's my way of meditating and having "me" time before what's usually always a busy day.
Do you have a dedicated workspace in your home? What helps you stay on task and protect your time from cleaning the house, doing laundry, or running errands while you're WFH?
I do and I think that's really important! When you work from home, it's easy to just plop onto the couch with your laptop, but I make it a point that the couch and the TV are off-limits during the workday. Making a to-do list and a rough schedule keeps me on task, as well as scheduling in breaks because realistically, I'm going to throw some laundry in or pick up some lunch. But as long as I allot myself a small window of time to do those things, then I don't feel guilty about it — it's just part of my schedule.
How do you prevent work burnout? How do you stay motivated and productive throughout the day?
After working from home for 7 years, I still struggle with this. It's really hard to disconnect at the end of the day from work because I work where I live! I really try to make an effort to turn my laptop off and not check my work emails after 6 pm, but I have to say, it's really impossible in the line of work that I'm in. But something I have gotten a lot better at is not working or responding to work emails during the weekend. That has really helped me avoid work burnout.
How do you wind down and log off at the end of the day? How do you separate your work time from your free time?
I make sure my laptop is out of sight! I take my dog for a walk, I cook, I have a nice, phone-free dinner with my husband, I call a friend. Separating work time from your free time is really about making a schedule for yourself and sticking to it, including when to stop working.
What time do you wake up? What’s the first thing you do upon waking?
I wake up around 6:30 am. During this uncertain global situation, I’ve been trying to let myself wake up naturally and get all the sleep I need, but I go to bed around 10:30/11 pm, so my internal clock still gets me up at that time. The first thing I do is (avoid my phone for 30 minutes to an hour) scrape my tongue and do 5-10 minutes of oil pulling to deep cleanse, Ayurveda-style. Wellness truly begins in the mouth!
Can you walk us through your morning routine? How does it set you up for a successful and productive workday?
I then have a tall glass of warm water with lemon, because when you dehydrate overnight, your brain actually shrinks by 20%! Gotta lube up the ol’ noggin. I brew a pot of hibiscus tea or make a matcha if I’m feeling groggy and have a little quiet time with a book or just with my thoughts while I sip it, before I do some movement.
Depending on the day, I might do a HIIT or some yoga. I have a go-to flow, but when I feel like mixing it up, I’ll look up a Yoga With Adriene video on YouTube. She has a ton of really great free videos, and there are always video workouts on ClassPass you can do at home, too!
Moving in the morning is really crucial to me for feeling energized throughout the day and avoiding a wandering mind as soon as I open my computer. It gets the blood pumping and something about a good sweat first thing just makes me feel strong and powerful.
I do some vigorous dry brushing afterwards, hop in the shower, and make a simple breakfast– my favorite is soft scrambled eggs with some sautéed greens like dandelion and kimchi.
Do you have a dedicated workspace in your apartment? What helps you stay on task and protect your time from cleaning the house, doing laundry, or running errands while you're WFH?
I have a desk where I always start work, but after I take a pause for lunch I always find myself rotating to sitting at the higher bar area of my counter. I love the afternoon sun that seat gets; it’s a comfy perch and I feel productive there.
I rely on my daily planner from Oh Deer so much. It’s organized perfectly for me with an objective section, urgent section, list section, notes, and even a little space for doodles (!). I reference my Google calendar to see if I have any calls or meetings scheduled, and make a detailed list here right away, listing them in order from top priority to lowest priority of the day. I do this because I like to make an ambitious list that is still realistic, so if my day doesn’t go as perfectly streamlined as planned (they rarely do, right?) then at least the major objectives are taken care of.
One thing I make sure to do so that I avoid being distracted by errands and house tasks is to add them to my list if I need to do them. I decide what day I can squeeze them into or what day it makes the most sense, and stick to a day and time that I do them.
How do you prevent work burnout? How do you stay motivated and productive throughout the day?
I set tiny goals for myself, or little deadlines throughout the day. Like, “Let’s do a chunk of this client until noon, and get it done” (or a ¼ of the way done, depending on the project size and deadline, etc). I also schedule little breaks, so I try to be done with something or do a significant amount of work with something before I make an afternoon snack, or go to pilates, take a walk, or run to the grocery store. It’s all scheduled in, so I’m not wandering away from work on a whim.
I also cut myself off from working too late if I have a day in which I start work early, which is ideally most days. When you WFH, it’s easy to feel like you work a 15 hour day when you don’t account for or schedule in the typical distractions… but even in an office no one works eight full hours. About five true, solid, productive hours a day is typical for the average human.
If I have a deadline that day, I might work a little later, but essentially I give myself a cut-off time to make dinner and that lights a fire under my own a$$ to get what I need done at a decent time (5 or 6 pm) so I’m not burning out my retinas with blue light into the evening. No one is producing pure gold after dilly-dallying on their computer all day and into the evening anyway. My clients deserve my best self.
How do you wind down and log off at the end of the day? How do you separate your work time from your free time?
Carving out that cut-off time to prepare a nutritious but thoughtfully tasty meal is my ultimate act of self-care (and love language to my S.O.). It’s meditative, resetting, and gives me unwind time after to rest and digest so I can sleep well and be productive again the next day! Sometimes I’ll start my to-do list for the next day in my planner if I’m feeling juiced about it, but most often I just prep the kitchen for the next morning, set out my tea, fill the kettle. Stuff like that.
Depending on the intensity of the movement I did in the morning, I’ll usually try to take a little walk after dinner or some light stretching or foam rolling. Being a writer requires a lot of sitting, so making sure I move my body in intervals throughout the day keeps me from feeling tight and weighed down by my own poor posture (lol working on it) and gravity.
Because my S.O. and I have our shows we like to watch together for some cuddle time on the couch, I always make sure to read a little before bed in some warm light. Gotta allow the eyeballs some non-screen time so that my circadian clock can recalibrate! About 30-40 minutes is lovely, but sometimes it only takes me 15 to drift off.
What time do you wake up? What’s the first thing you do upon waking?
I wake up around 7:00 am. My alarm is on my phone, which has been a habit I've been meaning to break for a while. But I do keep my phone on the opposite wall, away from my bed, so I have to get up to turn the alarm off. The first thing I do when I wake up is open my blinds, open the window, breathe in the fresh air, and make my bed. Yes, I make my bed every morning, and I do think it helps me start the day on a good note.
Can you walk us through your morning routine? How does it set you up for a successful and productive workday?
Ideally, my morning routine goes like this: I have breakfast, which is shorthand for I drink a strong cup of coffee with food. I watch a few minutes of CBS This Morning while I eat, change, and then do about a half-hour or so of stretches, weights, or cardio—I alternate the days to make it more fun. After that I get dressed, which is always an interesting topic for people who work from home. I know that it's usually perfectly fine if I wear sweatpants, but for the most part, I pick out an outfit, do my hair, and maybe put on makeup. It's nothing that doesn't take 10 minutes or so. I find that if I don't get dressed, I'm not as focused.
Do you have a dedicated workspace in your home? What helps you stay on task and protect your time from cleaning the house, doing laundry, or running errands while you're WFH?
I have a desk that I work at every day, and I work between 8:30 am and 6:30 pm, give or take. I think the thing that really helps me stay on task is a day planner. Every night before shutting work down I write a to-do list of all the things I need to accomplish for the next day, and I split it into columns. The left side is for the big stuff I have to do—write a story, do an interview, whatever—and the right side is for all the smaller things to get out of the way, like emails to send. I do the hardest ones on the list first, while the caffeine is still flowing, and then move on to the easier ones. I try to keep the list reasonable so that I don't feel panicked about completing everything. And to be fair to myself, whatever doesn't get done carries on to the next day. The goal is to keep from scrambling on Friday, which thankfully hasn't happened yet. I should say that most of my work-from-home schedule is on a weekly basis, which is why I can play with things a little.
As for email, I only check it at the start of the day, before lunch, and then right before I close up shop. I usually pretend I don't have a TV after breakfast, and I keep my phone either off or out of sight unless I'm using it for work. If I didn't do this it would be a slippery slope into Bravo and Instagram binges.
I don't necessarily think it's a bad thing to do laundry at home during "work hours" if you can swing it. I sometimes use it as a great gauge of time. For instance, like most people, my inbox is a never-ending black hole of notifications. But, I know that my washer takes about an hour to do a standard load. So that's how much time I give to answering emails before throwing things in the dryer and moving on to actual work. The same thing goes for cleaning and errands. If I'm stuck on something, I clean for a bit, run a fast errand, or go for a quick walk. That helps me think things through without staring blankly at my computer or scrolling some site. I still do that, I'm not a robot, but I try to be very aware of how I spend my time.
When you're in charge of your own work schedule, you can—and should—be flexible. But that flexibility has to have boundaries so that you don't get distracted. If you're more of a morning person, then get up earlier: It'll mean every afternoon can feel like a weekend. If you're more of a night owl, sleep in: It'll mean you can have slower mornings. But tell yourself that you're working, you're not just hanging out at home, and you need to plan accordingly. Of course, I'm saying all of this without children to worry about, which will obviously add a layer of complication to everything. As far as my universal advice goes, just try to be kind to yourself as you figure it out, and do your best to be intentional. I started my work-from-home life as a morning person, spent some time as a night owl, and now I'm in the middle. There are some days that completely get off track, and that's fine too. You'll get back on track tomorrow.
How do you prevent work burnout? How do you stay motivated and productive throughout the day?
The thing that has really helped me successfully work from home, minus a day planner, is my community of office and freelance friends. I check in with them daily, and we either tackle a work problem together or just send funny things to each other. That helps me feel like I'm not in a little bubble, even if the messages come in little bubbles. On the good days, I'm motivated and productive because I'm really into the work I'm doing and it's all coming together. On the bad days, I motivate myself with things like, "Ok, if I finish this task then I can have some candy or read the new magazine that came in the mail." There's also something to be said about not checking something off my to-do list. Only I would know, but that's enough of a motivator for my type-A personality. If you need someone to hold you accountable, my community also has "motivation buddies." We pair off, and our buddy knows what we need to accomplish and our ideal timeline. Then we check in with each other on how the project's coming along and what kind of support we need to make it happen.
Work burnout is a real possibility when instead of an in-the-flesh boss, there's just this omnipresent feeling of a boss. That feeling can give you the idea that you have to answer all the emails and do all the things right this second, because this omnipresent "boss" can feed off the guilt and anxiety you have about being at home. First off, working from home is still working, and it doesn't need to be qualified. Working from home is worthy of respect, and it's how a third of the American workforce made its living before the pandemic. At this moment in time, joining our ranks is keeping everyone safer. If you look at working from home as "less than," then you run the risk of wearing yourself out because you're trying to prove that you're just as productive as someone in an office. And we all know a certain someone in an office who makes that thought untrue.
When feelings of burnout happen to me, I've learned to just let it happen. I try to do the things I have to do for the day, but the rest, I put on pause. No one is going to get mad at you if you don't respond to their email right away, and when you do, it will still find them well. Shut your computer down, keep your phone off, and lay down for a while. Then, call a friend and tell them how you're feeling. Then, make some nachos. Then, listen to a happy song. Maybe two happy songs, depending on what you need. If it's small-scale burnout, it'll pass. If it's big-time burnout, don't be afraid to seek professional help, if you can.
How do you wind down and log off at the end of the day? How do you separate your work time from your free time?
This is a tough one for me, because if I'm writing and in a groove then I don't want to stop. But the honest answer is: I get hungry. I usually stop working when I need to eat dinner. I make a note of where I wanted to go with whatever thought I was working on, and then sign off. Sometimes I'll write after dinner, usually if I'm on a deadline. But usually once I leave my desk at night the work day is over. Lately I've been trying to separate work and dinner with a cool-down walk in between, so we'll see how that plays out in the coming weeks.
Another honest truth is that it's tough for me to balance work with free time! I've tried to be better about it since the start of this year, but I fail at it a lot. If there's a quote that's in my head whenever I do fail, it's what Toni Morrison's dad told her when she was struggling at her first job. He said, "Go to work, get your money, come home." Home is where the work is, so it's complicated. But home is where life is, too. And right now, when everything feels uncertain, I'm trying to remember to "come home" to my life mentally and physically. I need the balance probably more than ever.
What time do you wake up? What’s the first thing you do upon waking?
Typically, I tend to wake up around 7:30 am. If you're working from home with your partner (as I am), it's essential that you try to get on the same page with wake up times to avoid feeling envious or lazy when you see your partner sleeping in.
The first thing I do when I open my eyes (or sometimes even before) is repeat an affirmation of gratitude to myself. When you're self-employed and always hustling to make things happen, mental health is more important than ever. It's critical to start your day being thankful for what you already have so that you aren't overcome with a "lack" mentality (especially during these times).
Can you walk us through your morning routine? How does it set you up for a successful and productive workday?
8 am: My morning routine firmly begins at 8 am because any later makes me feel like I've missed opportunities. I start the day with a hot shower, skincare routine, and picking out a cozy work-from-home look that is presentable enough for any video conferences I may have scheduled. Then, I make a two-minute commute to my office.
9 am: I created a mediation and yoga corner in my office for when I need breaks, but I also use this corner to do a morning meditation and stretch. I set a timer for 10 minutes or play Jhene Aiko's Trigger Protection Mantra for its sound healing qualities; after this, I typically feel safe and ready for what the day may bring.
9:10 am: I make a quick protein-packed breakfast for myself and my husband (usually eggs and a Vanilla Super Coffee). On Fridays, I used to cheat and drive straight to the Starbucks drive-through. Lately, I've been making my own "Starbucks" moment at home using my favorite plant-based coffee mixes.
9:30 am: I log on and feel ready to take on the day!
Do you have a dedicated workspace in your home? What helps you stay on task and protect your time from cleaning the house, doing laundry, and running errands while you're WFH?
One of the best investments I have made since I began working from home is converting one of the rooms in my house into a dedicated office space! It allows me to feel like I have a place to go every day to work and a place to leave when I need to separate work from my home life. I close the door to my office when I'm done for the day or on weekends, and I get to have my own life, away from the energy of work.
This way, during my business hours, I am unable to see laundry, the kitchen, television, or any other distractions. And, when I'm watching Netflix or unwinding with a glass of wine, I don't have my laptop and work notes beckoning me to come back to work.
Separation is a huge aspect of maintaining your mental health when working from home. Even if you find a corner that's set apart from your personal space (not in your bedroom), it will make all the difference by creating structure.
How do you prevent work burnout? How do you stay motivated and productive throughout the day?
Admittedly, when I first started my business, I burned out pretty hard. I was continually working because I felt the pressure to be "on" since my life was now intertwined with my work. Then, I had a conversation with my Dad and he gave me great insight. He said, "If you earn $100,000 in business, but work 100 hours a week, you're essentially making less than $20 an hour with no benefits." I realized then that I have to value every hour of my life because time is our most precious commodity. It was then that I realized to start capping my hours on specific projects based on the rates I was charging. If you're a full-time salaried employer, this should be even easier—set a rule to shut the computer by 6 pm at least three days a week. You'll be giving yourself an instant hourly raise!
To stay motivated and productive, I use standard systems, including a whiteboard with my daily to-dos. I break them up and task myself with achieving half before lunch and half after lunch. I'm strict about being on “Do Not Disturb” during peak working periods, and I'm BIG into not checking email constantly. Inbox zero be damned!
How do you wind down and log off at the end of the day? How do you separate your work time from your free time?
I love a glass of wine and a trashy reality show as much as the next girl! But first, as soon as I log off, I try to do something physical like spinning, walking, or lifting. This helps burn all the energy of my workday off my body.
Then (and this is admittedly a bit counterintuitive), I guzzle water, take another shower, and wind down (or shall I say, wine down) with my husband by cooking dinner. We rarely eat out, and cooking is a creative task that allows me to feel like I have moments in my day to look forward to doing whatever I want and being super inventive!
What time do you wake up? What's the first thing you do upon waking?
Really late. I've become a night owl in this WFH phase of my career (it's like I'm on Hawaii's time zone now) so I find myself working best between the hours of 3 pm and 10 or 11 pm. I don't get to bed till maybe 2 am. I wake up around 10:30 am, peel myself out of bed, brush my teeth, wash my face and hands (!!!), and guzzle a coffee.
Can you walk us through your morning routine? How does it set you up for a successful and productive workday?
My morning is pretty leisurely. Because my job (writing books) is very solitary with little collaboration and few hard deadlines, I get to set my own pace. As it turns out, that pace requires a lot of warming up. Unless I have to interview a source early in the morning, I start my day with coffee, a small breakfast, hanging out with my dog and two cats, and checking my email/socials. Then, I put on a fresh set of clothes (still loungewear, it's more of a symbol that the day has begun), plug my laptop into my monitor, and review the day's tasks.
I'm not big into fancy to-do list apps or color-coded schedules—I keep track of everything I need to do for the day in my Google calendar, and I keep my to-do list really streamlined, so I have maybe two or three big work tasks for the day (e.g., write pages 10-13 of the book, pull quotes from the latest interview transcription, call my agent). I never crowd my to-do list, because that feels like I'm setting myself up to fail. My morning routine is all about creating this sense of "I can handle today, today is going to be chill," and approaching it from that relaxed place rather than an anxious one, and usually I wind up being way more productive than I meant to.
Do you have a dedicated workspace in your apartment? What helps you stay on task and protect your time from cleaning the house, doing laundry, or running errands while you're WFH?
My porch, my couch, or my dining table, where I have a big monitor that I can easily set up and takedown. I never work from bed. I'm embarrassed to say I'm kind of messy and hopeless around the house, so the urge to procrastinate by doing laundry or dishes is pretty easy to resist, haha. I'm lucky to have my dream job—I'm genuinely obsessed with writing books—so to my great fortune, self-motivating isn't all that hard. Long before I was getting paid to do this work, I was doing it anyway.
How do you prevent work burnout? How do you stay motivated and productive throughout the day?
I'm very gentle with myself! If I need a break, I take it. Just like I know eating junk food in moderation won't ruin my body because I generally eat pretty healthy, I know that in the end, having "lazy" workdays will get balanced out by having spurts of hyper-productive days. If I have really terrible writer's block, I get up and take a walk or read a few pages of a great book (in the same genre as the one I'm writing, so I don't cross-contaminate) as a palate cleanser.
When you transition to working from home, there's an awkward period where you're always questioning if you should be getting more done, but after a week or so (sometimes more, sometimes less), you start to find your groove. And of course, it's different for everyone. My old roommate who worked from home was most productive between the hours of 7 am and noon. My partner has all these time management apps he swears by. At a point, you just have to ignore the prevailing wisdom and figure out what works for you.
How do you wind down and log off at the end of the day? How do you separate your work time from your free time?
I normally see friends at the end of the day for happy hour or dinner. Wine typically marks the end of the day for me, haha. But again, I'm fortunate that my work is something I love and would be doing either way, and I actually think that in our current age, strict work-life boundaries aren't necessarily the most realistic or productive for everyone. I'm 28 and have no kids... why should I stop working at 6 pm if I'm on a roll? If I'm motivated to write for an hour at midnight, I let myself. I know my work situation won't be so flexible forever, so for now, I just let myself be sort of loosey-goosey. So far, it's working out well.
What time do you wake up? What’s the first thing you do upon waking?
Despite my best efforts, I am still not a morning person. I usually wake up around 8 or 8:30 am (unless I'm going to a morning workout class) and check my email first thing. Coffee and water are immediate seconds!
Can you walk us through your morning routine? How does it set you up for a successful and productive workday?
I've only been freelance for five months now, so I'm still perfecting my morning routine. There's definitely an art to it—it can be incredibly difficult to maintain self-discipline when you're WFH.
Right now, I wake up, check my email, and drink coffee in bed or on the couch, then either shower or complete some sort of small grooming routine (i.e. wash my face, brush my teeth, brush my hair, etc.) depending on when I'm planning to workout that day. I think it's important to stick to a grooming ritual, even if it's as simple as brushing your teeth and splashing cold water in your face. In my experience, this signals to my body and brain that it's time to wake up.
From there, I apply my skincare/makeup and get dressed. If I'm staying at my apartment, I usually skip makeup and apply some fancy skincare—I've really enjoyed treating my skin to serums, masks, etc. during the day since I don't have to worry about layering makeup on top.
As far as my outfit goes, it's honestly leggings and a sweater, which is something I want to work on—I very much believe that what you wear influences your mood! If I'm going to a coffee shop (not right now, obviously), I usually wear very light makeup (i.e. tinted moisturizer, boy brow, mascara) and my standard jeans, ankle boots, and a sweater/T-shirt/turtleneck. I'm based in Detroit now, but most of my work is still based in New York, so in-person meetings are few and far between (i.e. I rarely have to worry about dressing up).
Routine aside, I aim to be actively working and starting the day's tasks by 9 am with the rest of the world! As much as my night owl self would love to work a 10-7 or 8, I think it's important to be online with everyone else; I feel anxious otherwise.
Do you have a dedicated workspace in your apartment? What helps you stay on task and protect your time from cleaning the house, doing laundry, or running errands while you're WFH?
Unfortunately, my apartment is too small for a dedicated workspace (I'm moving in a month and can't wait to have a desk!). I do find that I'm more productive if I'm able to head out to a coffee shop, even for just a few hours, but obviously that isn't an option right now. Keeping myself on-task is an ongoing battle, but I have found a few tricks that keep procrastination at bay:
I generally leave Netflix/music off, unless I'm doing something more visual like sourcing imagery where I'm not bothered by distracting sound.
Reward myself with small treats, i.e. when you finish this piece or send all these emails, you can make tea or check Instagram. Small victories!
Allot a certain amount of time for each task, i.e. I'll do email outreach until 11 am, then work on this piece from 11 am to 3 pm and the source market from 3 pm to 6 pm, etc. Even if you don't finish each task, it's important to move onto the next or else you can quickly feel overwhelmed/behind. If you stay on task #1 all day, it's easy to feel like your day was a failure.
Reserve certain time slots for any errands or small chores you want to do, i.e. at noon I'll take a lunch break and do the dishes. Or when I commute home from this meeting or outing, I'll stop and grab groceries, etc.
Honestly, hide your phone. I will literally put it in another room or throw it on the other side of the couch, as crazy as that sounds. I totally use my phone as a procrastination crutch—it's incredibly helpful to just have it out of sight, out of mind.
Change your scenery after a while, even if it's just moving from your couch to a chair, or your bed to the couch, or your couch to your friend or significant other's couch.
How do you prevent work burnout? How do you stay motivated and productive throughout the day?
It's definitely hard to separate work from your personal life when you work for yourself. While I do work the occasional Sunday, I try my best to enjoy my weekends to the fullest and allow myself to take time off and relax just like everyone else. I also have direct control over how much work I take on and which projects to prioritize from a financial perspective, which is really nice. I've had a few months where I was drowning, and the next month, I was able to tweak my schedule a bit to avoid total overwhelm.
For me, just knowing that everyone else is still working and grinding it out is strangely motivating. I made the choice to go off on my own, and I want to hold myself to the same standards as everyone else in the traditional workforce. It's important to me and my self-esteem to work hard and still feel like an equally productive member of society, even if I'm working from my couch. I want to succeed at my own venture, and I have direct control over that outcome. There's no part of me that decided to go freelance so I could be lazy or sleep in, you know? If anything, the pressure and motivation to succeed are amplified.
How do you wind down and log off at the end of the day? How do you separate your work time from your free time?
This can be difficult depending on workload, but I think having an after-work activity definitely forces you to log off and signals the end of the workday. For example, my significant other usually comes over after work, so I'm forced to log off and begin my evening wind-down. This can even be as simple as going to a workout class, going to the grocery store, hanging with your roommates, grabbing a drink with a friend, making dinner for yourself, etc. Just some sort of hard stop. These post-work activities also serve as motivation to get your work done throughout the day—i.e. I want to be able to grab drinks with this person, so I'm going to make sure I get all my work done.