When you work in the same physical space that you use for relaxation, finding the right balance between work and day-to-day life can be a challenge. All too often, the boundaries begin to blur, and we find ourselves torn between the two. Whether you’re in the field of digital marketing, web design, or development, it’s not unusual to find yourself working till late hours. The question is: How can we keep the right balance between our professional lives and our personal lives? How can we maintain it especially when working from home?
The road to a decent work-life balance may be hard, but the following ways can help you achieve your work-life balance goals. But first -
Work-life balance refers to how people arrange their time and effort between professional and personal commitments. It’s about evenly distributing 24 hours to set a lifestyle in which you’re always in a healthy mental and physical state. Several factors could impact your work-life balance. Some of these are easier to control, whereas others maybe not due to many reasons. However, finding a healthy work-life balance is key to your overall well-being. It can reduce stress levels and the risk of exhaustion or creative block. In addition, both employees and employers who have healthy work-life balance are likely to be happier with each other, resulting in improved commitment. As a manager, promoting a healthy work-life balance within your team can be a good way to support team members while working remotely.
Ways to balance work and life:
What is work-life balance, and why is it important?
Work-life balance refers to how people arrange their time and effort between professional and personal commitments. It’s about evenly distributing 24 hours to set a lifestyle in which you’re always in a healthy mental and physical state. Several factors could impact your work-life balance. Some of these are easier to control, whereas others maybe not due to many reasons. However, finding a healthy work-life balance is key to your overall well-being. It can reduce stress levels and the risk of exhaustion or creative block. In addition, both employees and employers who have healthy work-life balance are likely to be happier with each other, resulting in improved commitment. As a manager, promoting a healthy work-life balance within your team can be a good way to support team members while working remotely.
Ways to balance work and life:
- Set specific work hours
- Determine achievable goals
- Take proper breaks
- Create a designated work-space
- Be good to yourself
- Accept imperfection
Let's explore each of these now.
When working from home, one of the best time management advice is to set specific work hours - just like your office hours. This way, you’re less likely to receive emails, phone calls, and meeting proposals during your non-work hours. Choose when you want to start and end each day. Take breaks like you are in the office. Look after personal responsibilities during those breaks. This will lead to a more fruitful schedule, helping you stick to your work hours productively.
Take a look at your work plan and to-do list ahead. Ask yourself what your priorities are at work: any specific deadlines? Once you have a clear vision of what you need to work on today or the whole week, you’ll be able to set your goals and plan out your deliverables. Try to make your goals as realistic as possible. In turn, you’ll be more likely to adhere to deadlines and improve your productivity, focus on other aspects of your life and meet them, something that brings you joy.
When working from home taking proper breaks from work is equally required. Taking your eyes away from your computer monitor is important for your work and life balance. It will give you the breathing space you need to rejuvenate. You may also find that taking breaks will help you be more creative. Set aside time for your breaks, and do your best to disconnect from your professional duties during this time. So when you are back to work, you can fully concentrate on your work.
Working from home isn’t always as desirable as it may look. If you really want to balance work and life, it’s probably the best idea to select an appropriate spot at home where you can set up your home office. If you have no dedicated spare space, do your best to create a temporary workspace that feels comfortable for you. Try to keep your workspace clean and organized to avoid distractions. Your home-based temporary office should get you in the right professional attitude, so to make your job easy.
With juggling so many responsibilities, being good to yourself is a must. Prioritizing your own well-being is important than many other professional and personal duties but without being selfish. If you feel pleased, the chances are you’ll serve well as an employee, a partner, parent, and so on. Some most common ways are, give yourself time to relax after work, proactively unplug yourself from the internet, disconnect yourself from the outside world, and let yourself be composed again. Allocate time for yourself and your loved ones. Maintain meaningful human relationships and engage yourself in something you enjoy.
While there are plenty of ways to maintain a work-life balance, the reality is that you can’t always expect your two worlds not to interfere with one another. Sometimes, even if you try hard, you need to accept that the division between work and life won’t always be ideal in the real world. You could find yourself having to answer a work call while playing with your children, or responding to an important email as you sit down for dinner with your partner.
Be realistic. Ask yourself where you can be flexible, without risking anything. For example, set boundaries with your potentially overworking manager. Accustomed to the way household tasks are done at home by your partner. Whatever agreements you come to with the people around you, being realistic with yourself is the key. A perfect work-life balance may not be within reach on the first attempt but the constant thrive for it, can allow you to achieve it sooner than later.
1. Set specific work hours
When working from home, one of the best time management advice is to set specific work hours - just like your office hours. This way, you’re less likely to receive emails, phone calls, and meeting proposals during your non-work hours. Choose when you want to start and end each day. Take breaks like you are in the office. Look after personal responsibilities during those breaks. This will lead to a more fruitful schedule, helping you stick to your work hours productively.
2. Set achievable goals
Take a look at your work plan and to-do list ahead. Ask yourself what your priorities are at work: any specific deadlines? Once you have a clear vision of what you need to work on today or the whole week, you’ll be able to set your goals and plan out your deliverables. Try to make your goals as realistic as possible. In turn, you’ll be more likely to adhere to deadlines and improve your productivity, focus on other aspects of your life and meet them, something that brings you joy.
3. Take proper breaks
When working from home taking proper breaks from work is equally required. Taking your eyes away from your computer monitor is important for your work and life balance. It will give you the breathing space you need to rejuvenate. You may also find that taking breaks will help you be more creative. Set aside time for your breaks, and do your best to disconnect from your professional duties during this time. So when you are back to work, you can fully concentrate on your work.
4. Create a designated work-space
Working from home isn’t always as desirable as it may look. If you really want to balance work and life, it’s probably the best idea to select an appropriate spot at home where you can set up your home office. If you have no dedicated spare space, do your best to create a temporary workspace that feels comfortable for you. Try to keep your workspace clean and organized to avoid distractions. Your home-based temporary office should get you in the right professional attitude, so to make your job easy.
5. Be good to yourself
With juggling so many responsibilities, being good to yourself is a must. Prioritizing your own well-being is important than many other professional and personal duties but without being selfish. If you feel pleased, the chances are you’ll serve well as an employee, a partner, parent, and so on. Some most common ways are, give yourself time to relax after work, proactively unplug yourself from the internet, disconnect yourself from the outside world, and let yourself be composed again. Allocate time for yourself and your loved ones. Maintain meaningful human relationships and engage yourself in something you enjoy.
6. Accept imperfection
While there are plenty of ways to maintain a work-life balance, the reality is that you can’t always expect your two worlds not to interfere with one another. Sometimes, even if you try hard, you need to accept that the division between work and life won’t always be ideal in the real world. You could find yourself having to answer a work call while playing with your children, or responding to an important email as you sit down for dinner with your partner.
Be realistic. Ask yourself where you can be flexible, without risking anything. For example, set boundaries with your potentially overworking manager. Accustomed to the way household tasks are done at home by your partner. Whatever agreements you come to with the people around you, being realistic with yourself is the key. A perfect work-life balance may not be within reach on the first attempt but the constant thrive for it, can allow you to achieve it sooner than later.
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