What is work-life balance and what is its significance while working from home?
In short, work-life balance is that state of equilibrium where an individual equally prioritizes the needs of one’s career and also the demands of one’s personal life. Many people are working virtually from home for the very first time due to COVID-19. Others are more seasoned remote workers. Whatever your circumstances are, engaging yourself in office work at home is likely playing a bigger part in your life, or that of individuals you reside with than it ever has before. At its best, working virtually from home benefits everyone: you, your family or household, and your organization. Remain connected and positive, and you’ll work productively while maintaining a happy home life – all without tension and stress of a daily commute but for all this, you need a healthy work-life balance.
Working from the home is big news. During the COVID-19 pandemic, those lucky enough to possess avoided layoff are more likely than ever to be adapting to a working environment that’s familiar and alien at constant time. It is surprisingly tough.
Working from our home can be considered much easier for a lot of people. Employees can save a good deal of your time and money since they are not travelling not need to travel so often, which mean people will have much time for work and themselves, too. Less travelling will help reduce traffic jam and pollutants to our surroundings. Besides, working from home doesn’t mean staying inside all day long, people can prefer to add their garden or backyard, wherever makes them feel convenient to do their office work. Moreover, employees are under fewer stresses since they get to choose when to continue with work and when to take some rest. This routine will help giving out better performance to tasks.
Whereas, many of the employees considered working from home may be not useful as doing office work from personal space will reduce direct interactions among colleagues. But still, the matter is solved because of internet services. As for now, people from across the globe can easily contact and work with others from distances.
Another drawback is that some people may get distracted from work by external factors and this needs employees to be highly aware of what they must and must not do for his or her paid jobs. The common reasons that result in a poor work-life balance include:
Another drawback is that some people may get distracted from work by external factors and this needs employees to be highly aware of what they must and must not do for his or her paid jobs. The common reasons that result in a poor work-life balance include:
- Increased responsibilities at work
- Working longer hours
- Increased responsibilities reception
How to Improve Your Work-Life Balance?
Accepting that there's nothing like 'a perfect' work-life balance.
- When you hear “work-life balance,” you most likely imagine having a very productive day at work and leaving early to spend the remaining half the day with friends and family. While this could seem ideal, it’s not always possible.
- Don’t strive for the proper schedule; strive for a practical one. Some days, you may focus more on work, while other days you may have much more time and energy to pursue your hobbies or spend time together with your loved ones. Balance is achieved over time, not every day.
Considering health as a priority.
- Your overall physical, emotional and mental state should be your main concern. If you struggle with anxiety or depression and think therapy would benefit you, fit those sessions into your schedule, even though you have got to go away work early or ditch your evening spin class. If you’re battling a chronic illness, do not be afraid to call in sick on rough days. Overworking yourself prevents you from improving, possibly causing you for taking more days off in future.
- Giving priority to your health is very important as it leads to making you an improved employee and person. Also, you will miss less work, and once you are back to work, you’ will be happier and more productive.
- Prioritizing your health doesn’t mean to carry out radical or extreme activities. It may be as simple as daily meditation or exercise.
Taking a break from work.
Sometimes, truly unplugging means taking the time and shutting work completely off for a short while. Whether your break consists of watching a favorite series, cooking, going for a walk, and spending time with your loved ones, it is vital taking a day off to physically and mentally recharge.
According to the State of yank Vacation 2018 study conducted by a western Travel Association, 52% of employees reported having unused vacation days leftover at the top of the year. Employees are often worried that taking a day off will disrupt the workflow, and also they will meet with a backlog of the work once they return. This fear shouldn’t restrict you from taking a much-needed break.
“The truth is, there’s no nobility in not taking well-deserved time far away from work; the advantages of taking each day off far outweigh the downsides,” said job experts. If you do your tasks with proper planning you will be able to complete it without taking tension and without burdening your colleagues with a large workload once you start working again.”
Giving time to yourself and your loved ones.
While your job is very important, it cannot be your entire life. You were a different individual before taking this position, and you must prioritize the activities or hobbies that make you happy. A job expert said that achieving work-life balance requires deliberate action. If you are not doing any planning regarding the private time with your close ones, you may not able to have time for trying and doing other things outside of your work. No matter how hectic and busy your schedule may be, you ultimately have control of some time and life.
When planning time together with your loved ones, create a calendar for romantic and family dates. It may also sound weird to plan one-on-one time with someone you are living with, but it’ll also ensure that you spend quality time with them without work-life conflict. Simply because work keeps you busy does not mean you will neglect personal relationships. Realize that nobody at your company will like you or appreciate you the way your loved ones do. Also remember that everybody is replaceable at work, and regardless of how important you think that your job is your company won’t miss a beat tomorrow if you’re gone.”
Setting boundaries and work hours.
- Set boundaries for yourself and your colleagues, to avoid burnout. While you are done with leave the office, avoid overthinking related to upcoming projects or answering company emails. Consider having a separate computer or phone for work, so you’ll be able to shut it off after you are done with it. If that is not possible, use separate browsers, emails or filters for your work and private platforms.
- It is recommended to decide the time you will work and the time will stop working; otherwise, you would possibly end up answering work-related emails late at nighttime, during vacations or on weekends off.
- It is advised to inform the team members and your manager about boundaries beyond which you can’t be accessible because you’re engaged in personal activities. This can help to confirm that they understand and respect your work limits and expectations.
Even though there are many benefits of work-life balance but there are a few challenges that both employees and their employers face. As an example, employees manage their work-life conflict which refers to an unbalanced time spent in doing their office work and spending the remaining time for their activities with their family and friends. Whereas, a company or an employer needs to handle a problem of the absence of employees of their companies. In a nutshell, it’s important to have a positive work-life balance to enhance employees’ productivity at work which may affect the well-being of a company and the employee as well. Work-life balance is all about balancing our achievements and enjoyments and a working person needs to know why he/she wants to attain something in life, as a result of his dedication and also the joy of living that comes afterwards his hard work pays off!!!!!!
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15 thoughts on “Kitchen to couch: Work life balance in the new normal”
“Balance is achieved over time, not every day” Very well said. But, what to do if company doesn’t give leave on grounds of unhealthy mental state?
Work-life balance is an integral part of a healthy lifestyle. At Clinqon India, we strongly try to establish two-way communication between the employees and the management to promote a healthy work culture within our organization. We would suggest you have a detailed chat with HR or the person responsible for handling such affairs in your organization. If it doesn’t work, think about your priorities and plan your future steps. If you need further assistance, you can consult a therapist or a medical expert to assist you in this case.
Thank you.
Yes it is important to have work-life balance
Very informative!
Wow! It’s a great article…
with all the stress due to the pandemic, this is so so so important, love that you guys care enough to share this important information, well done!
Very insightful
Well written
Very thoughtful!
Loved this piece!
Interesting!
Great article
Very true! Balance is necessary
with all the stress due to the pandemic, this is so so so important, love that you guys care enough to share this important information, well done!
Loved this article. Super informative.