How to Maintain Work-Life Balance at Home?
Work from home has been continuously up for debate and discussion since the pandemic locked everyone down within the confines of their homes. It has inevitably become a part of everyday life and is expected to remain in practice for the next few months due to the constant threat of COVID-19 looming around our necks like an aimless sword.
While working from home has helped a vast majority of the global working population to keep the bread on the table, it has also messed up the work-life balance to the extent that people are no longer working from home, but are living at work.
There is no denial in the fact that the pandemic has been hard on hundreds of thousands of people in every geographical location where the pathogens of COVID-19 were found. But what is even more frightening is the fact that to keep the jobs, people had to succumb to the unrealistic expectations of their bosses.
From working late to receiving work-related emails in the middle of the night, everyone has suffered through a fair share of workplace monstrosity from home. While many companies are on the path of figuring out the ethics and etiquette of work from home, there is much room for learning on the employees' end as well. The job helps you earn the bread but buying bread is not the only purpose of your life.
Today, when lockdowns are still imposed in many locations around the globe, and the disease control departments are anticipating the second wave of the COVID-19 outbreak, it is evident that work from home will be back in action. So to help our readers experience good mental health outcomes during the next bout of work from home, for the general lesson on life after lockdown, here are a few tips to help you maintain a healthy work-life balance at home to stay on top of your health and schedule.
Get yourself a cup of green tea and diffuse some lavender oils to begin your journey of self-love and better mental health through a balanced lifestyle that incorporates work and 'life' in an interwoven tapestry.
Why work-life balance matters?
Work-life balance is a crucial aspect of working from home. It helps you reduce stress and put a cork in the workplace, hassles away from your Zen-zone. Focusing on the maintenance of a healthy work-life balance ensures that the employees are healthy and happy. It helps in breaking the day in episodes of high stress and responsibility against the time to relax and refresh.
The vast majority of workers from the corporate sector suffer from chronic stress disorders that manifest in the physical health and routines of the staff. Since work has moved home, the stress has spread its wing over the entirety of employee life and has left no room to breathe for the average employee of a corporate organization. Surveys on krogerexperiencee have revealed that people have taken to unhealthy sleep patterns due to the disturbances to their circadian rhythm and internal clocks.
How to maintain a healthy work-life balance?
The only way you can succeed in distancing work from your home life is to segregate them as you did in the past. It may seem a bit challenging, but if you put your mind and effort to it, you can quickly get it done in no time!
Have a separate workspace.
The first step is to separate a space that is designated for work alone. Whether it is a coffee table and couch or a chair in your room, assign one spot for work where you can enjoy working and attending Zoom meetings without ruining the comfort of domestic space. Decorate the space with lamps, journals, or sticky notes that you will need during the workday and try to limit your screen time within the designated area.
Clock out work hours.
The next trick is to have similar work hours. If you started work at nine and clocked out at five, then do the same from home. Be unapologetic about your time frame to let your seniors know that employees, too, have a life outside of work. A set routine will help you relax and sleep better at the end of the day.
Dress up for work.
While many people have been enjoying work in pajamas and no bras, it has also led to a negative impact on mental health. Try to dress up a little for work. If you cannot manage to put on pencil skirts and silk blouses, then at least you can wear a casual top and jeans to keep yourself conscious that this is work time, and then you can change into your tattered tee and cotton shorts at the end of the workday!
Focus on hydration and nutrition.
Just like you did at work, keep a bottle of water and some snack bars around your workspace so that you don't starve while working from home. It was evident that cooking three-course meals for lunch may not be an ideal choice, but at least you can keep your mind nourished and your body hydrated to feel better about yourself and the choices you make to stay posted on the job.
Burn some calories.
Exercise is an excellent way to bust stress and improve overall health. It helps you clear your mind and boosts mental and cardiovascular health. Try to work out at the end of the day to release all the work-related stress from your pores.
Develop a hobby
A hobby can work wonders in helping you differentiate between work and home life while working from home. Try reading books or pottery, or perhaps cooking to feel at ease after a long day at work. Make sure that your hobby helps you relax and does not add more stress to your already tired bones.
Final thoughts
Health is the only wealth we truly acquire in life. So try to treat work as a part of life and not life itself to move forth in the direction of a healthier, happier lifestyle.
This guest post was written by Owais, an SEO puzzle solver. A strategy maker by day and a reader by night. His love for spreading digital wisdom keeps flowing like fluid that makes him write useful blogs for the readers. When he isn't making strategies, he is found playing cricket, All in all, he is a digitized foodie and keeps grasping knowledge as soon it comes by. You can read his blogs at Techies Classic. Follow him on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram.