Blurred Work-Life Boundaries in the Home

For many female attorneys working hybrid schedules, home is both sanctuary and workplace – which can quietly turn into a 24/7 office if you’re not careful. Perhaps your laptop and case files live on the dining table all week, or the guest room doubles as “the firm” with deposition transcripts and case law printouts spread everywhere. In a cluttered, multi-use space, you may feel like you’re always on. It’s hard to unwind on the couch when a stack of client documents catches your eye, and equally hard to concentrate on drafting a brief with kids’ toys and laundry in view. The result? You never truly feel off the clock, as work and home-life bleed together.

The Mental Strain of an "Always-On" Home

This blurred boundary between work and personal life isn’t just about physical space—it’s a deeper problem of mental separation. When your home feels like the office at all times, it becomes tough to ever genuinely log off. You’re not alone: nearly half of remote workers (47%) have reported being concerned about these blurred work-life boundaries, struggling to unplug from work and feeling “always on” Over time, that constant background hum of work erodes your well-being. Research during the pandemic found that lack of clear boundaries can fuel stress and burnout. In fact, burnout spiked alongside the rise in remote work—self-reported burnout rates increased by over 40% as work and home merged.

As a woman in law, you might feel this strain even more acutely. Often juggling professional duties and family responsibilities, female attorneys are at high risk of running themselves ragged when boundaries blur. One industry survey found that “always being on call and not being able to disconnect” was the number-one work stressor for a whopping 72% of attorneys. It’s no surprise, then, that many women in law are hitting a breaking point: nearly one in four female attorneys has contemplated leaving the profession due to mental health struggles, burnout, and stress, with work overcommitment cited as the top reason. If every corner of your home is an extension of your office, you never get a space to recharge. And without that chance to recharge, your mental health suffers and your personal relationships can fray – it’s hard to be present with your partner, kids, or friends when you’re mentally still in a client meeting or prepping for the next deposition. The bottom line: the issue here isn’t just a bit of messiness or disorganization – it’s the absence of a clear line between your career and personal life, a line that is vital for your sanity, health, and relationships.