If the lockdown has taught us anything, it's that the key to remaining sane during this period is striking a good work-life balance. What boundaries have you set for yourself?
Working from home can be tricky. Sometimes, if not most times, you will find yourself working longer hours than you would have at the office. As this continues, you will find it harder to balance home-life and with your work. For those with children, the kids may not really understand that mommy is working. For them, it’s playtime all hours of the day, which may result in you putting fewer hours into your work. This is not good for you as an employee or employer.
To avoid this, you will need to discipline yourself and treat these lockdown days as normal workdays. Here are some tips you can follow:
Start your day early
Carry on with your morning alarm, as if you’re going to the office. If you have children, use the early hours to sort out their needs for the day. Thereafter, proceed to get ready for work.
Look the part
You may not see the need to dress up because no one outside is going to see you however, you’d be surprised how this could put you in work mode. Also, with this being part of your routine, you will be ready for any meetings scheduled via video call.
Set goals and have a schedule
Having a work schedule will help manage your time better. Maybe after three days, revise your schedule to see if you’ve reached your goals and what improvements can be done. Make this a routine.
Focus on one thing at a time
When working from home we tend to want to multitask. This is how your time will get wasted and your goals won’t be met. Take your lunch break and do with it whatever needs your attention in the house, including actually having lunch, and then head back to work.
Knock-off time
If you normally get off work at 5pm, you can at least stretch this time by 30 minutes because you won’t be in traffic for close to an hour. You can use this time to complete tasks due for the following day, so you know you are headed into a new work day with less responsibilities.
According to a Forbes article by Alan Kohll titled The Evolving Definition of Work-life Balance published in March 2018, having a good work-life balance reduces stress and burnout. It goes on to express that no balance contributes to the cause of chronic stress, which has costed employers in the US $125 to 190 billion based on a report by the Harvard Business Review. When employees are burnt out, they have less to contribute to the workforce. The article details work-life balance for the workplace, too. Visit the link in case you may want to implement some changes in your own business when we’re out of lockdown.
Author: Yonga Balfour
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