Work vs Life; Redefining Work-Life Balance in the Times of Work from Home

How to Improve Work-Life Balancing During Covid19 Days

The spreading global pandemic has taken a toll on every aspect of life, and work-life balance was also not spared. When the pandemic first hit us, it was a quick blow and honestly, no one had the time to prepare for what was coming. The transition from normal life to life-within-the-walls was sudden and bumpy. Everything came to a halt and new measures were required to cope with the changes. That was when work from home and home offices were widely popularized because firms were forced to pause their offices and work from home was the sensible option.

When working from the office, the office hours, space of working, and the routines are well-defined and there was a clear line between work life and personal or social life. People were able to leave work at the office and had much more opportunities to socialize and improve personal connections.

As the pandemic ruled out meet-ups and one-to-one socializing, along with working in an office environment, a lot was lost in the process. The defined space and time for work now began to seep into personal life more often than before, as there were no clear boundaries. Socializing and connecting with colleagues, communicating with management and face-to-face interaction is now less and only through virtual modes. Necessary work breaks are more or less non-existent and employees are confined to private, small spaces of the home.

All of these little inconveniences sum up to problems in personal and social relationships, decrease in job satisfaction, disturbed routines, stress, and decreased productivity.

That is why rethinking the work-life balance considering a long-run work-from-home scenario becomes important, both for employers and employees.

Keeping a few important things in check can help improve the work-life balance while working from home.

Set your mind to the positives of working from home and improve on those factors.

Make sure to keep your positivity with the right attitude towards your life.

Remember why it is important to keep a healthy work-life balance. The pandemic takes time to be in control, and being out of balance for such a long term can seriously harm your personal and professional life.

Set up a defined workspace for you at home, with ample lighting, air, and space. Because nobody wants to work in a crammed, stuffy, uncomfortable space for such a long time every day and it surely is not ideal for your productivity. This can also ensure the boundary between work and personal life.

Be sure to keep a schedule for everything you do, from beginning work to breaks, meetings, and stopping at the end of the day. Stick to the plan and don’t let work leech in your me-time or vice versa.

Instead of working like a machine, take breaks, move around, because you are not a machine. And taking breaks can increase productivity by decreasing tiredness.

Even if virtual, make it a habit to connect with colleagues. Workspace connections are great for building the sense of a team. They can eliminate alienation and make your professional life much more fruitful and happy.

Don’t let the pandemic break your work-life balance. Keep it healthy, keep succeeding!