On any given day in the world before COVID-19 hit, juggling the demands of both a career and a personal life was an ongoing challenge. Now, in the aftermath of a global pandemic where many people are out of work, those who still put in eight hour days are tasked with not only the same problem of creating a work-life balance, but managing the stress of the pandemic. All of this on top of potentially having even more work piled on while simultaneously working from home.
Here are a few tips to help you achieve a healthy work-life balance while working from home:
Prioritize
Consider all the elements of your life that are competing for your time, and focus on the things that are important to you. Scattering your attention only makes achieving a work-life balance more elusive. If your morning routine is important to you, don’t wake up and check your emails immediately; take some time to focus on your self-care and do something for you before facing the rest of the day.
Create an office space
There are many distractions at home you don’t have in the office. Between chores, family members and pets, focusing on work while you’re home can seem impossible. So, make sure you give yourself a designated space for completing your tasks. A specific space made for work and free of day-to-day clutter will help you focus on your work tasks.
Schedule
Working from home isn’t about being glued to your desk at all times. When you’re in the office, you’re probably taking short breaks to make coffee or talk with your coworkers about life outside of work. Take time to establish a clear schedule of when you need to work and when you need to take a break. Take a few minutes to call a friend and make sure your mind stays fresh so you don’t burn out.
Make a to-do list
Scheduling isn’t the only thing that can help ensure you’re being productive and accomplishing what needs to be done. The act of writing out tasks not only helps you to create a better method for time management, but crossing items off a to-do list can be extremely gratifying – especially if you’ve been questioning your productivity and progress while working from home.
Make plans for after work
Right now, your living space and workspace are the same, which can make it hard to step away from your job at the end of a long day, even if you’ve signed off. You might even feel like there isn’t a reason to log off at a specific time since you don’t have to worry about driving in traffic or getting home in time for dinner. This can cause some serious burn out and might make you begin to resent your job. Making plans for your after-work hours will help you to disconnect from the stress of your job and reconnect with yourself. Schedule a call with some friends or set a schedule for yourself to cook dinner.
You can be productive while you work at home without disconnecting from your life outside of work. We hope these tips will help you to maintain a healthy work-life balance while you work remotely, and even when you return to the office.
Learn how to stay connected with your community during COVID-19 with our article here.
