Restoring Work-Life Balance
It’s week 8 of working from home and while I feel adjusted, I don’t exactly feel any better about it. A recent headline caught my eye — Three Hours Longer, the Pandemic Workday has Obliterated Work-Life Balance. It is harder to leave my desk (a.k.a. my kitchen counter) at the end of the work day because, quite frankly, what’s the rush? I don’t need to catch a train, I won’t be late for dinner, no one is waiting to meet me, I won’t be late for the gym class that is on-demand and so why not finish that email?
When working from home for a prolonged period, I’ve learned that it’s important to make it work for you instead of sticking to the routine I adopted for the office. At work, it’s easy to plop down at my desk and spend 8 consistent hours in front of a computer, with small breaks to get lunch or coffee. At home, I have to factor in 5 trips to the kitchen! There can be an ideal schedule that caters to your style of working. Here are my tips for restoring balance and finding a better WFH groove.
Determine when you are most productive during the day
Early birds, I envy you but I am very much a night owl. I am definitely not a morning person and find that my sweet spot for productivity is around 2-6 PM so those hours are intentionally kept for myself. The morning is usually spent on conference calls, sorting my inbox and completing the tasks that are simple and straightforward because they don’t require my max focus level.
What are you distracted by and when?
I am always distracted by hunger and the notifications on my phone. I eat a big breakfast so I can power through the first few hours of work before I start daydreaming about lunch (it’s not that exciting when you know the contents of your fridge at all times!) I snack frequently through the afternoon so I can stay alert without food coma. (Fun fact, did you know that most times you think you are hungry, it’s actually thirst?)
Because it’s easier to scroll on my phone at home as opposed to the office, I have do not disturb mode set on for certain hours and also limit my social media time through iPhone settings. I check in only when I’m taking a break from my computer.
If you’re feeling antsy, don’t fight it! Get away from your screen, walk around, drink some water, and let it pass. It’s a good time for your eyes to take a break too - do you know about the 20-20-20 rule?
I also have a number of personal tasks to take care of and so I weave that into my work day. The beauty of working from home is that it allows you to have more flexibility. So what if you throw in laundry at 10 AM or run an errand at noon? If your work gets done and you are accessible to your team, it shouldn’t matter. Don’t feel like you are chained to your desk from 9-5. Your work will get done when it is suitable and necessary.
Have some routine commitments
Precise daily habits are not my thing but might be for some. I like to have a few activities that I regularly commit to whether it be Monday night yoga, Thursday Zoom happy hour, Friday movie night and Sunday skin care. This can apply to life once you’re back in the office too. Talk about your hobbies and activities with your colleagues so they can support your schedule. I was known to leave every Monday at 6 pm sharp to head to a boxing class and by making my team aware, they helped me get out of the office on time. It’s comforting to have some consistency but not to the point where you feel stressed to adhere to a rigid schedule. By having commitments during the week, it forces me to make sure I’m done at a decent time and can switch into my personal time in the evening. It also gives me something to look forward to.
Since I tend to be in the zone and lose track of time in the late afternoon at home, I set a daily reminder at 5 pm that signals me to start wrapping up for the day by 6 or 7 pm at the latest.
Create soft boundaries
Once I turn off my laptop for the day, I usually don’t log back in. I’ll make sure I can hear the alerts on my work phone. I avoid responding to emails at night unless it’s absolutely time sensitive. Weekends are also sacred to me and so I avoid saving work for the weekend. I’d rather have a late weeknight, then have it spill into the weekend.
We all know the other WFH tips that have been repeated ad nauseam so I’ll skip those but an important one for me is to keep your relaxing space separate from your work space. in other words, do not work from bed because it will ruin your sleep. Try not to work from your couch because it’s bad for your back. Ideal situation is to work from a desk or counter consistently. Totally understand this can be hard in small apartments but try your best!
Hang in there everyone!
