Work-life balance is a concept that’s top of mind for most working professionals. It’s never been an easy concept to put into practice, but for so long, the daily commute created a sense of separation for most workers in the U.S. Then the COVID-19 pandemic blurred the lines between the workday and personal time, forcing most of us to live and work in the same space. Even now as many companies are still using remote or hybrid work strategies, finding work-life balance is tricky.
At R+K, we have a remote working structure, with employees across the country. Here are some key tips our employees use to help define the line between work and home life and find a harmonious balance when working remotely.
DETERMINE WHEN TO SET BOUNDARIES AND WHEN TO BE FLEXIBLE
Office life comes with built-in boundaries, like the time you arrive and leave each day. If you have a separate office within the larger space, a closed door usually means “do not disturb.” Defining boundaries becomes more challenging when the office environment goes virtual.
It’s important to communicate your work boundaries clearly to preserve your non-working hours, even when you’re not together in the same office.
Set the hours you work each day. You likely have a start and end time for your daily work schedule, even if it’s flexible. The tough part is sticking to those hours when possible. With a home office, it can be tempting to hop back on to do some work in the evenings, but for the sake of your own mental health, try to keep work contained within the designated hours. Of course, there will be exceptions during busy seasons or large projects that demand extra work, but this is a good rule of thumb for an average work schedule.
Disconnect after hours. The point of creating boundaries with work hours is to create separation between your work and personal lives. If you have work messaging or email apps on your phone, consider using the focus mode on your iPhone or digital wellbeing features on Android to lock or remove those apps from your home screen so they are out of sight and out of mind outside of work hours.
Communicate your availability. In an office environment, your colleagues can gauge your availability by visual clues, like whether you’re at your desk or if your headphones are on. Virtual work doesn’t offer that luxury. If yours is one of the many companies to use messaging platforms like Teams or Slack, use your status to establish expectations for availability and response times with co-workers.
Designate your home office space. If your work from home situation has become a part-time time or full-time reality, it’s important to have a separate workspace away from your living space to create a clear division of work and personal life. No matter how big or small your home is, find even a small corner you can call your workspace. This allows you to walk away at the end of the day and not let your work infiltrate other parts of your home, and ultimately, your personal life.
While having boundaries is key to maintaining a work-life balance when working from home, it’s also important to remain flexible. You may need to adjust as you experience changes in your workload and personal commitments. Boundaries are in place to help make your work life run more smoothly, so make sure they work for you.
MANAGE YOUR TIME WELL
Taking control of your time can allow you to complete necessary work tasks within the designated hours you or your company have set so that you can keep your personal time, well, personal. Here are a few time management tips you can implement to keep your work from encroaching on your personal time.
Stay organized. That’s a very general statement, but an important one to help you maximize your time and complete your work efficiently. How you organize your task and priority list is up to you. Whether it’s a physical, paper list, a digital sticky note on your laptop, desktop, or, although not ideal, in your head, having a list of your to-dos gives you a visual representation of what needs to be accomplished and can help prevent you from getting sidetracked.
Delegate when you can. If you work as part of a team, you have support if you need it. While everyone on a team has their own responsibilities and deliverables, often, people find themselves taking on tasks that don’t fall under their job description. When you’re overwhelmed at work, examine where those extraneous tasks are creeping into your workload. Is there someone else who may be more skilled at this task or has more expertise? Consider delegating the task to better align work processes – and free up some time in your day.
Consider having a start-up and or power-down routine. Daily morning and evening routines can help mimic your commute to and from the office and reduce the chance of work life creeping into personal time. Morning tasks can be as simple as making your bed, having coffee, watching the news and getting ready for work as if you were commuting into the office. In the evening, consider meditation or taking a walk to ease you into your evening. Having consistent routines signals to your mind that it is time to start or stop work for the day and creates a transition between your home and personal lives.
We’ve all looked up at the clock and asked ourselves “How is it 4 o’clock already?” Proper time management skills allow you to stay on top of your time and ensure you have enough to complete what needs to get done.
CHECK IN ON YOUR MENTAL HEALTH
In our world today, we understand the value of preserving our mental health. Our mental health impacts our overall health – how we feel not only mentally, but emotionally and physically too. Taking care of ourselves is key to preventing burnout and physical fatigue. Working remotely from your teammates can be isolating and lonely, so it’s important to make sure you are looking after yourself and listening to what you need.
Here are a few ways to do that:
Take brain breaks. You know how sometimes the best ideas come to you in the shower or as you’re lying in bed at night? That’s because sometimes the brain does its best work when it’s given time and space to process. The same applies to your work. Taking breaks and stepping away from your work even for a few minutes each hour can help you feel recharged to take on the rest of the day. According to the Harvard Business Review, taking “micro-breaks” on a regular basis can prevent exhaustion and boost performance. Get up from your desk and have a quick change of scenery, even if that means simply walking to the kitchen to get a snack.
Get outside when possible. When you’re working from home, it’s easy to be cooped up inside for days on end if you’re not intentional about getting out into the fresh air and sunshine. Sunlight can boost your mood, reduce stress, and even improve sleep. Go for a walk or run with your dog, sit outside – even just walking to the mailbox and back can help you feel energized and give you a break from sitting at your desk. At R+K, we’re encouraged to take walks during meetings or trainings that only require us to listen. This is a great way to stay alert and engaged while taking in nature and getting in some movement!
Set realistic expectations. Whether it’s working 12-hour days, skipping lunch to fit in more tasks, or never getting up from your desk – just because you can doesn’t mean you should. Habits and routines like this can lead to burnout. Set clear expectations to make sure you are taking care of yourself. Try eating lunch at your kitchen table instead of your desk or shut down your laptop at night before you close the door to your office. Whatever that looks like, do what you need to do to care for yourself and protect your personal time.
Ultimately, managing your stress levels and mental health can help you cope with the daily pressures and emotional challenge of being separated from teammates.
FINDING THE BALANCE BETWEEN WORK AND LIFE
Having a complete, perfect work-life balance is a myth. One is always going to outweigh the other, even if only by a little. But without care and observation, the scales could tip drastically one way or the other. The key is finding enough of a balance where you feel fulfilled in both your work life and your personal life, without feeling like either is suffering because of too much sacrifice. These tactics will help you begin to strike that balance.
For more about how to find success in the workplace, check out our blog about embracing your learning style to fuel your career success.