Now that we work from home, balancing personal and professional life feels increasingly more challenging. We are trying to adapt our workload, care for our team, and maintain our programs without any working model on how to do so. While there have been some benefits to working from home we are now at a point where people are feeling restless and tired. That is why boundaries and finding balance are important, so we can separate our work-home life from our home-home life.
Here are some tips to help you find balance;
1. Create a schedule…and stick to it.
Creating a schedule can help you organise your day and prioritize what needs to get done during your work day. It also helps create a routine, and having a routine can lower stress levels and help you feel more in control of your environment.
2. Set boundaries.
When you are done working for the day, detach from work. Using technology to connect to work when you’re at home can make you feel like you are always on the job. This can lead to an increase in stress. Try to have an area in your house that is a dedicated work space and when you’re done working transition into home life by changing your outfit and leaving that work space. It can also be helpful to go for a walk or do an activity to help you transition mayoclinic.org)
3. Unplug!
We stare at our computer and phone screens a lot. Now that we don’t have a commute to break up the screen time, prolonged exposure to screens can lead to fatigue, eye strain, headaches and neck, back and shoulder pain. Plus, unplugging has many benefits to our physical and mental health. It can help us focus on the present moment, this cultivates more enjoyment of the little things in life. It can also help us focus on projects we want to do around the house or on our family members.
4. Care for yourself.
Self care is always important to our wellbeing, but when working from home a healthy lifestyle can help cope with stress and manage work-life balance. Try to make healthier food choices and incorporate physical activity in your day, a healthy diet and exercise can help you feel energized, less tense and helps in regulation of emotions. Another helpful tip is to meditate and practice mindfulness. When we can focus on the present without judgement it can be very liberating, improve sleep and relieve stress.
Sources:
Adam Felman, 2020,
https://greatist.com/happiness/ways-to-practice-self-care
Marisa Sanfilippo, 2020,
https://www.businessnewsdaily.com/5244-improve-work-life-balance-today.html
Mary Gomes, 2018,
https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/five_reasons_to_take_a_break_from_screens
Mayo Clinic
https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/adult-health/in-depth/work-life-balance/art-20048134