Recent times of uncertainty have resulted in the booming of remote working options across the world. Restoring work-life balance seems to be a difficult task at times. Relocating the office space at home can have several perks and also some challenges too. The article has dealt with some crucial points that will help to maintain semblance and harmony between these two starkly different responsibilities. One has to continue working efficiently while fulfilling personal duties at the same time. This can be tough, but not impossible.
One can enjoy some amazing benefits while working from home. No getting late for the office, no stuck in jam amidst traffic and pollution, no direct confrontation with bosses, no tension of commute and returning home late. We have always complained about the scarcity of times, about how we could not spend time with family, how we could not stay at home for long hours, how we had to dress up following the HR policies disregarding our wishes and the weather outside.
All our complaints seem to be heard by the one above, giving us ample scope to be at home, strictly. Even if we want to step out of home, we cannot. The pandemic coronavirus has wreaked havoc globally, compelling us to be indoor 24×7, which oftentimes feel like house arrest. Just like the Chinese philosophy, the Yin and Yang, these benefits accompany some hurdles as well. Nothing is free on this planet, it seems.
Working from home can result in a professional and personal blur in our lives. Our workplaces and home spaces have converged, creating utter confusion at times, both in our work and our personal space. Some might work harder to maintain productivity and agility, surpassing the designated work hours. Whereas some may spend hours looking at the window outside and scrolling through the Instagram account. Either way, you are not doing the right thing here. Work within the stipulated period of time. Maintain your agility and productivity and dedicate the rest of the hours to your family. Set your priorities and deadlines to maintain a balance between your personal and professional responsibilities. Optimize your efficiency by avoiding burnouts.
You need to “switch on” and “switch off” from your work mode as per requirements. For a working mother having a 7 months old child, it is imperative that she will devote some time for bathing and feeding her loved one.
There are certain steps that can help in restoring the work-life balance while remote working.
Recreate Your Office At Home
It can be highly tempting to be in your PJs and slip under the mattress with your laptop and phone. This is one of the most common methods to blur your work-life balance. But, trust me; this is a surefire recipe for adversely impacting your productivity. Create a clean clutter-free workspace at your home. You can keep a separate room for office work if possible; otherwise, maintain a specific corner of your home. It is better to place your work desk near the window, with ample natural light. It is observed that natural light and sunlight help in boosting productivity more than that of artificial lights. Working from bed can be dangerous and chances are you will waste hours in procrastination.
Think your bed to be a place where you can retire after the day’s work. This way you can keep your work and personal space on different grounds. Make sure you have a comfortable chair to sit for long hours. Sitting on the bed can harm your body posture, causing aches and pains in future. You can avoid this by placing a comfortable chair for your professional duties. If you are having a video call or video conference, be aware of the background and any other distraction from your kids, pets, roommates etc.
Stick To Office Hours For Work-Life Balance
Creating office at home does not refer to only a separate work station, but also the time duration you will spend in that work station. If your daily work schedule is that of 8 hours, then try to devote that time for your professional duties, for meeting your targets and deadlines. It is easy to lose track of time during working from home. Some people end up working more hours than the stipulated time. It can be tempting to check emails and notifications any time of the day, just because the system is available to you.
Restore work-life balance by avoiding working “just any time of the day”, rather concentrate on the “daily working hours of your office”. If your office hour is 10 am to 6 pm, then follow the same routine. Do not modify the time and start working from 2 pm and end at 10 pm, or 5 pm to 1 am etc. Stick to the regular duty hours, the job location has changed not the professional responsibilities and regulations. This way, you can maintain a daily routine which will add to your mental well being.
NO To Multitasking, YES To Lunch Break
Multitasking can be alluring when you are working from home. You may find yourself putting your laundry in the washing machine within the working hours when you are on a conference call with your teammates; or helping your kids with home works while you are checking the excel sheet at the same times. These can hamper your productivity to a great extent. There are some people who log in their system early but then continue with household chores and not professional duties. Suck kinds of multitasking, where professional and personal responsibilities coincide are dangerous for both of them. Keep yourself engaged in professional duties during office hours and thus you can develop productive remote working habits.
One of the essential ways to maintain semblance while working from home is to take lunch breaks in between the working hours. If you have a timer, then you can stop it during the lunch break, and then resume after your break is over. During the break, keep away your phone and laptop. Enjoy your lunch, relax a bit, watch your favourite episode, listen to some songs, play with your kids etc. During the break, give your mind a complete relaxation before engaging in the remote working.
Planning Is A Must For Work-Life Balance
By planning I mean, both for managing your household duties and fostering remote working. You must communicate with your bosses and teammates in case you need to act as per your discretion on certain occasions. Your duty towards your family is no less important than professional duties. For working fathers or working men, there can be a gender bias at play here. Oftentimes they believe that they have a lesser share of household duties. While working women tend to get bogged down managing both household and professional duties. Sharing the duties between the family members, communication with your colleagues and managers become imperative for nurturing professional and personal well being.
Wrapping Up Your Work At The End Of The Day
Set an alarm 30 minutes prior to wrapping up, so that you can gently wrap up your office work. Within the 30 minutes, plan your activities for the next day, check the mails, update your daily logs and sheets, finish your last-minute revision of the daily work, and other required activities. Then, shut down your laptop or desktop, do not just lock it. Unlocking the system and checking the mails etc outside the office hours is tempting, it happens with me as well. So, it is better to shut down the system and wrap up for the day. This way, you can separate your personal and professional spaces. Prior planning for the next day gives you a mental piece that all the important projects are well within your grip. This way, you can relax better after your daily work is over.
Escape from the work station, and engage in some transitional activities that will mark the end of the daily professional obligation. For instance, take a shower, go for a walk, change your clothes, escape in another room, interact with family members, cook a new dish, read a book, meditate etc. Once you wrap up, refrain from looking at any electrical gadgets like phones, laptops etc. It is better to read a book than looking at kindle. Give your eyes some rest. Maintain a work-life balance by engaging in other activities starkly different from just “looking at a screen”, because you have been doing it since the last eight to nine hours straight.
Conclusion
The outbreak of pandemic has forced several organizations to experiment with the concept of remote working, thus reshaping the Future of Work. As founded by Forbes, “Working from home, research has found, can boost employee productivity, improve work/life balance and foster better mental health (not to mention reduce pollution from commuters).” The report also added about the recent webinar “Is self-Quarantine the Fabled Future of Work”, where the co-host Brigid Schulte said, “This virus is calling into question the way we work on such a huge level.” There are several speculations surrounding the agility and success of remote working.
During uncertain times like now, this seems to be the only option to foster professional and mental well being. Staying at home all day, that too without work can be detrimental to one’s personal and physical health. Maintaining work-life balance with the convergence of personal and professional spaces can be challenging, but not impossible.