How to Navigate Working from Home with Your Partner

With the Coronavirus having the majority of us working from home not only does this pose the challenge of learning to be productive and accomplish getting your work done in a whole new environment but also adapting to the idea of sharing what was previously just a living space now turned into a work space with your partner. How do we navigate this? Below I have a few suggestions on how to deal with this situation and keep you from wanting to kill the other person!

1. Give the Other Person Space

So, this first suggestion may be a little difficult to manage if you happen to share a tiny one-bedroom apartment with your significant other but if you can do your best to set up separate workspaces. If you can, maybe one of you takes over the home office and the other works in the kitchen or outside on their laptop. Or if it’s a smaller living space maybe one of works from the breakfast bar or your kitchen table and the other works from coffee table or small desk you have in your living room. Or even something as simple as each of you setting up at different ends of the same desk or table but wearing headphones so that each of you are totally focused on your work task for the day.

2. Set Boundaries

Now that you and your partner are both working in the same space it’s critical that you set clear guidelines from when you are on the clock until you done with work for the day and make this known to your partner. Let them know that you are booked until 8pm. Sync your calendars so that they know when you have a conference call so maybe they can leave and go for a walk or a grocery run during that time as to not interfere. But this doesn’t have to be all work related. Schedule a drinks date for after work or a specific time to watch that movie you’ve been waiting to see. Just as your work schedule is made clear be sure to schedule non-work events as well.

3. Find New Topics to Talk About

After spending the whole day together at home one unexpected issue that could occur is running out of things to talk about. Previously, you both would be away from one another for 8 or more hours and having plenty of office gossip and things to catch up from the day but now you both pretty much know what has happened in the day. So what now?


Start dreaming about future: Are their trips you’d like to take once things calm down? Plan out the details, where, when, how much you need to save, etc.…make it happen! Are there new hobbies you both want to try, wine tasting, a fitness class…? cooking classes?? Or do you want to HGtv up you place? Got some home improvement projects you want to do? Talk it out and then get out those paint overalls and get to work!!