Balancing work and life in 2020
Balancing work and life in 2020
Striking a healthy balance between work and everything else in life is a hot topic of late. With more people either electing to or being forced to work from home- there is a whole new spin on what work life balance should be in the world of Covid 19. While the ideal work life balance will be very subjective based on your own priorities, drive, family commitments and even the life-phase you are in, most people will agree that it can’t be all about one and never the other. Your Company’s philosophy around work life balance will play an important role as well- with some placing more value on this than others.
Treading the fine line between balancing your work and other important life activities to avoid burnout and allowing yourself some much needed time to recharge is key to your own long-term productivity and ability to thrive. With the current work from home trend- we found some very interesting statistics from a recent study which found that remote employees work 1.4 more days per month than their office-based counterparts, resulting in more than three additional weeks of work per year. 29% of remote employees said they struggle with work-life balance, and 31% said they have needed to take a day off for their mental health.
We would like to share some practical tips that really work for us, especially in the time of Covid 19- and all that comes with it- and we hope they will help you as well!
1. If you are working from home, it is important to designate one space in your home as your “office” so that you can leave work at “work” when you need to.
2. Schedule, schedule, schedule! This pandemic has turned many of us into full time employees, house keepers, parents and teachers too- which, let’s get real- is pretty overwhelming. Creating a schedule for your day and week- and sticking to it- will help you feel on top of the load.
3. Set boundaries- if you are happy to be called into a last-minute zoom meeting at 8pm- good for you. If not- you need to be comfortable enough to set boundaries, within reason, that are in line with your working hours, as if you are in fact working from an office.
4. It is tempting to walk over to your home office and get stuck into a few emails on a Sunday- try to maintain work time and home/ life time- and stick to this.
5. Take that lunch break! Go for a walk around the block, play with your kids in the garden…doing something you enjoy will help you to appreciate the really great things about working from home.
6. Ask for help and maintain connection! Being at home should not mean that you are isolated from your colleagues. Any employer worth their salt will have provided you with the necessary online tools required to make working virtually possible, keeping that human connection alive.
What have your experiences been with creating a work/life balance now or in the past? Have you struggled? If its been a breeze for you, share with us how you have managed that! Sharing knowledge and learning form one another is a great way to add value to our community. Let us know! www.4crecruitment.co.za