At the height of the CoronaVirus (COVID-19) situation, the world has taken a complete turn. People from around the world are forced to go into a complete lockdown to contain the virus. The term “work-from-home” has in fact become a buzzword since most organizations shifted their workforce into allowing their employees to work in their homes.
While some might have adapted quickly, many have encountered a few challenges as they start to embrace this “new normal” setup.
One of the struggles people are facing is mainly towards creating a definitive separation between their work and their life outside of it or work-life balance, as many may call it.
The Beauty of a Work-from-Home Setup
Work-from-home is advantageous in terms of flexibility and convenience, but there are a number of employees who seem to have a hard time balancing their work and home life.
As a result, it’s putting a strain on their mental and physical health which affects their work performance. While experts have continuously warned people on the importance of setting boundaries between those two, it’s not easy to make it happen.
Creating a Balance Between Work and Your Life Outside of It
Fortunately, there are quite a number of things people could try and do to avoid burnout from settling in.
If you don’t know how or where to start, don’t worry as there are plenty of ways to help you establish a good and healthy work-life balance. What’s more is, these methods can even be applied not just during this pandemic, but even at times when you feel like things are getting too hectic.
Check out some of them below.
Learn How to Set Your Own Work Boundaries
Whether it be at home or in an office, it’s important that you clearly establish the start and end point of your work.
If you’re working from home, having an exclusive home office should do the trick. If you’re working in an office, your desk would be the most appropriate work zone for you. As soon as you’re out of these areas, you have to completely let go of any work-related activities.
Another great way to establish work boundaries is to establish how much time you are dedicating for work. Remember that whether it’s an hour or 30 minutes, going beyond your schedule is not healthy. So, it’s important that you’re well aware of your own schedule. Besides, companies would gain increased productivity from employees by following the optimal daily work schedule.
Take a Break or Vacation Every Once in a While
Just because you’re in your home doesn’t mean you don’t deserve a break. Be sure to take a much needed time off to relax and unwind. Whether you opt to spend it at home or have a staycation somewhere else, having a break from the usual corporate routine could refresh your mood and your mind.
A research conducted by Mark Rosekind found that the respite effect of a vacation can increase employee performance by 80%. In that same study, Rosekind also discovered that returning employees from vacation also showed an increase of 40% in their reaction times.
Aside from relaxation, vacations and time offs can benefit the company itself as their people are more pumped to work once they get back. That’s why it’s okay to take a break and breathe after a long and hectic day at work.
Understand the Importance of Unplugging Yourself
It always helps to completely cut off yourself from work. It allows you to recharge and refresh your mind from the stress you’ve had in the past weeks or months.
Unplugging gives people space for other thoughts and ideas to emerge. In case you’re still figuring out how you can start unplugging, a good start is through the notifications on your mobile phone. When you’re not working, be sure to turn them off or set your “Away” status.
On your way to work, refrain from looking at your work phone or laptop and just focus on doing something that is not related to work. Catch up on reading some of your favorite books, practice the art of meditating, etc. There are plenty of ways you can refresh your mind and your spirit.
The simple practice of unplugging offers numerous benefits to both the company and employees. A person working with a clear and energized mind can translate to better work performance.
Don’t Be Afraid to Delegate Tasks to Other Team Members
One of the reasons for an imbalanced work-life is due to the overwhelming amount of tasks or projects employees need to complete.
Oftentimes, people struggle to hand over some of their workload to others for the fear that the job won’t get done if they didn’t do it themselves. While it’s understandable to have a certain level of hesitation, you have to remember that there’s a reason why you’re working with a team — and that’s to provide you with the support you might need.
This is where the art of task delegation comes in.
As long as you maintain a good level of communication with everyone, you can easily monitor and track progress of projects and tasks you’ve entrusted. This will not only take off a huge burden on your shoulder, but also allows other team members to learn how things go around the company.
Additionally, it teaches you and everyone in the team the value of trust within the organization.
Try to Reconnect & Spend Time with Your Friends & Family
While having a job you can be proud of is an achievement itself, it shouldn’t become your entire life. Remember that you’re an individual first. This is why it’s important that you know how to prioritize your own hobbies and activities that make you happy and satisfied.
One good way to keep yourself in check is to reconnect and spend some time with some of the most important people in your life. It’s more than just keeping your relationship intact, but more about ensuring that you never neglect yourself or anyone in your life.
No matter how hectic your schedule might be, you ultimately have to take control of your time and life. Planning a family get-together and weekly hangout with friends is just the perfect way to do that.
Some might think that this activity has no effect on their professional life, but it does. Maintaining a healthy social life allows you to build better relationships at work. It helps you understand human behavior as well as teaches you how to be social. One of the most important effects of reconnecting and bonding with your loved ones is it keeps you happy which directly impacts on how you are at work.
Achieving a balanced time for your work and yourself requires deliberate action. It doesn’t happen overnight but, you need to start at something to create a cycle that will keep you healthy and happy.
Once you master the principle of having a work-life balance, this will not only benefit you but also the organization you’re working for.
That’s why, if you suddenly find yourself too overwhelmed by the amount of tasks you have to do and multiple roles you have to play at once, better take a moment to pause and recalibrate your daily routine.