There is no doubt we are experiencing times of change. We are being asked to change EVERYTHING – daily routines, social norms, workplace locations and so much more. For some, working from home may have happened occasionally, but they have never worked on a full virtual team. Others may have already been working remotely as part of their job, but now they have their whole family at home with them – which brings additional challenges and changes to their ways of working. And for many, working from home will be a totally new experience.
So the question is: Amidst all the change, how DO you maintain work-life balance? To help, we’ve put together some tips and guidance to make sure that you can be more productive and effective while reducing the stress that comes with these changes.
Practice Self-Care
Even though you’re working from home, it is still important to keep your work-life balance. In order to stay safe and healthy, we need to put life first and then work. This means make time for yourself. Take the time to eat right. Relax or Meditate. Do the things that you love and that bring you joy. Explore learning new things or new hobbies that you can do yourself or with your family.
Take regular breaks
You want to get up and move throughout the day. You don’t want to just sit at your desk all day. You want to make sure that you’re taking bio breaks, stretch and take a full lunch break. This contributes to your work/life balance so that you can keep your energy up and your mind focused.
PRO TIP: Several of our clients have been talking about missing those few minutes they used to have to stop by the restroom or get something to drink. Or even just to stretch as they walk between meetings during the day, like when they were in the office. Although you’re at home, take the time to keep those things up. Take a moment to stand up and stretch or walk around. You may have heard the phrase that “sitting is the new smoking”? So, while we’re not doctors, research has shown that it’s not good for you to sit in front of your computer without taking breaks – and we all want to stay healthy right now.
Some of our clients are doing things like “walking meetings.” In this case, meeting attendees are all taking a walk together, in their own neighborhoods, as they have the meeting together. This could be a great option for one-on-one meetings, in place of a morning meeting or an afternoon stand-up.
Maintain Work-Life Boundaries
Work-life balance is all about boundaries. Implement “start work” and “end work” routines into your workday at the regular time that you did before. Working from home doesn’t mean working every free moment. If you don’t have a separate space for work, you want to create one. This allows you to close your laptop and turn off your work-related email notifications on your phone after hours. It is very important during this time to be careful of overworking, so that you can sustain your energy and your health. Just because you have to stay at home doesn’t mean that you have to spend all of your time working “just because you can.” Put these boundaries in place for you, your health, and your family.
If you’re looking for some tools on how to reduce stress and keep your mindset focused and positive, we have a free book on ExecutiveLeader.com called “How to Reduce Stress at work.” Feel free to read through and share this with your team.
This article comes from our online training “7 Tips for Working Remotely during the COVID-19 Crisis” Click on the link to view the entire training for FREE as well as access to other helpful leadership resources.
