The 2020 coronavirus and Covid-19 pandemic has given us all a lot to think about over the past year. The vast majority of us have seen major changes in our day to day lives, from having to wear face masks when we’re out in public to not always being able to spend time with our nearest and dearest on a face to face basis. One thing that many of us have found ourselves struggling with is trying to create a healthy work-life balance. Those of us who can work from home generally are working from home now. So, you’re going to have to make some significant changes to your work life divide to make sure that you don’t fall into the trap of overworking or underworking. Here are a few suggestions that can help you to strike the perfect work life balance that you can right now.
Creating a Dedicated Workspace
The first thing that you need to do when working from home is to create a dedicated workspace. Certain areas of our home are associated with comfort and relaxation, and are consequently difficult to be productive in. At the same time, you want to keep these spaces comfortable and relaxing for when you finish work. Where possible, scope out an area and dedicate it to work only. This could be a spare room, a set at a dining table or anywhere else that you can work properly from. Avoid working from bed or the sofa at all costs.
Pick Up Hobbies
Many of us are working extra hours simply because we feel that there is nothing else to do. We can’t always meet up with our friends. Bars and restaurants are often closed. Cinemas and theatres are often closed. The list goes on. But switching off from work is still just as essential as ever. So, why not pick up some hobbies to fill your spare time? Whether that’s baking, learning about candles at www.candleopedia.com, creating a home workout, reading or anything else that strikes your fancy.
Setting Working Hours
Sometimes, when you work from home, you don’t have set hours that you absolutely need to stick to. But this can result in many people exceeding the standard eight working hour day. Set yourself a maximum number of working hours each day, week or month and stick to this. If you notice you’re going to exceed your hours, take a break and take some time to yoruself – you’re running close to overworking yourself!
These, of course, are just a few suggestions. But hopefully, they can help you to get the ball rolling when it comes to balancing your work life and your home life while you’re working remotely. None of us know how much longer this will last, and many companies have found that they can save significant costs on commercial property rent and overheads when staff do work from home, so you may find that your job turns to a permanently remote position. It’s worth making changes and getting used to remote work sooner rather than later!
