As we continue to navigate our new normal (thanks Covid), it's totally fine to feel consumed and dragged down by work. When you work from home, you’re constantly on call, answering emails at dinner, or running to your phones to check Slack every time you hear a "ping".
It makes sense that you feel like you can never fully shut off.
That’s why, this week, we’ve decided to compile our top 3 tips for managing your work-life balance while at home!
1. Set a schedule (and stick to it)
Working for a company that lets you set your own hours may seem like a Godsend. But, that often means you’re working well past the hours you’ve set for yourself.
What starts out as a quick reply to a Slack message, can easily turn into a 12 hour day trying to complete tasks you should've never had in the first place.
To create an even balance, set a schedule and force yourself to stick to it. On normal days (that don't require a sense of urgency), designate a time to "get off" and disconnect. To do so effectively, make yourself entirely unavailable after you sign off of your work accounts. Eventually, your coworkers will get used to you not being on call 24/7 and your days will go back to normal.
Champagne Tip: Add your designated hours to your display name on work chats (as a reminder of when you're available).
2. Assign blocks of time to accomplish random tasks
If your job is anything like mine, things constantly pop up throughout the day. It’s always a good idea to schedule an hour or two each day to deal with these random assignments. While unscheduled requests may seem urgent at the time, the reality is...if you keep stopping your workday the second someone asks you to do something, you’ll never get anything done.
Your to-do list will continue to grow and a day that once seemed manageable will end up being out of control!
Prioritize the tasks and requests that matter the most so you're always on top of your game.
3. Take a day off
During a pandemic where most things are closed and life is basically shut down, it can feel like you have nothing better to do than to work. But, I cannot stress enough how important it is to take time off for yourself.
Even if you spend the whole day in bed watching TV, driving around the city, or napping, a day off is your chance to separate your job life from your actual life.
Self-care is the best care after all and sometimes the smallest breaks can make the biggest differences in our lives!
We hope with these simple tips, you can start to find peace within your new work-from-home lifestyle.