In essence, is that employers and employees should have a consensus on what constitutes working hours and when the communications stop.

Three detriments that employees are likely to suffer from if they cannot unplug from their work are severe burnout, stress, and the inability to achieve a balance between life and work. Employers on the other hand don't make it easy for employees to unplug, as they send work emails off-work hours. Prompting employees to respond to them immediately and to keep checking for more work emails at a time that they should be unwinding and bonding with their families. 

The above agreement allows employees to relax and unplug without worrying about being on for unscheduled work emails and calls. Below are some actionable tips that you can adopt to help disconnect from work when working from home. 

Find a Hobby outside Work 

How about you get another physical project going that is less brain intensive but equally engaging to make you want to finish your work on time and jump on it. Some of the things that you can do is go for book clubs, register for a gym membership, or play a sport in the evening to get your vitals right. You could also sign up for Yoga classes which will help you unwind and reset for the evening. 

Don't miss the small breaks in-between work

For these breaks to be effective they must first take you away from your desk, you could grab a cup of tea or water. You could also listen to music or catch on the news. Set timelines for your breaks, and ensure that you follow them religiously. 

Don't miss your lunch break 

Remember that you are not working from your office, so no one is going to tap on your shoulder signaling the lunch break. You must, therefore, make a point of getting up from your work desk and physically get your lunch from your kitchen. Have it from the living or dining area and do not indulge any thoughts from work. Besides, lunch breaks are a perfect way of refueling as you get ready for the afternoon's task. 

Stick to the normal work routine 

Set out your day's tasks with timelines on when you will finish them. Let this coincide with your normal office routine. Most importantly is that the tasks that you set out to do should be achievable within the set time limits. The best way to go around this is to engage in a 9 to 5. Let your team members also stick to a strict work schedule, so that no one looks for you outside the working hours. 

Minimize distractions

If you are to fully unplug from work then you have to put strategies, in place that will help you achieve your goal. For example, when working from home your household members think that you are available for them at their convenience. If this is the case then no one will respect your work hours. Set and communicate the need for space and time to work, and also come up with a way that your family can notify you in case of an emergency. Stick to the set routine so that both the kids and adults in your home will respect the boundaries set. 

Do not multi-task

Multitasking can encourage burnout, fatigue, and stress. Any task that you must complete no matter how simple must be given full attention. Avoid folding laundry while engaging in a conference call, ideally, you should separate your personal life from your work. At the end of the day, you will find that your work is of good quality and that you finish them pretty fast when compared to doing house chores and working simultaneously. 

Always connect with your colleagues 

The online workplace is a lonely place because you can be working solo or with a team. The idea, therefore, is to connect with other people in the same field as you or with your co-workers. Joke about stuff, share memes and funny articles or just chat, add some spice to your busy work schedule, and see how satisfying and fulfilling this can be. If you don't connect with others, it might affect your social skills in the long run but also be sure to not overdo to the point of compromising productivity. 

Create a schedule and set personal boundaries

To properly unplug you must set a time that you will shut down your laptop, turn off the notifications and switch off Wifi on your work gadgets. This makes it very easy to unplug as you even look forward to the time that you will stand and walk away. However, this could be difficult if you are moving from your work desk to lounge on your living room couch, but either way do it and find something interesting to watch.