One of the biggest benefits of working remotely is flexible work. But when your work environment is the same one as your home life, it can be difficult to separate your professional and personal life. You may be experiencing a poor work life balance if you have found yourself working long hours and lacking personal time.
Finding a work-life balance is good for both your physical health and mental health. But many times, heavy job responsibilities and working remotely can steal that balance away. When that happens, both our work and home life can suffer unwanted consequences.
On the other hand, working a lot or appreciating the feeling of being productive, may seem like something positive. But if you tend to use this as a means of justifying working all the time, you may be a workaholic. In this case, you may want to reassess the relationship you have with your job. While it is great to be a hard worker, it’s also important to have a personal life separate from your job and a healthy work life balance.
But how can you achieve that balance, and have personal time while still excelling at your job?
Use these strategies to create the work-life balance you seek:
1. Avoid checking your work emails and messages off the clock. During working hours, you’ll probably check your work emails often to ensure that any meetings and deadlines are met. However, checking them when you’re off work allows your work life to invade your personal time.
While this may seem like a small thing that won’t affect you, it prevents you from truly relaxing and having quality time because your brain is constantly hung up thinking about any needs your work may present. The key to having work life balance is to prioritize personal time as much as you prioritize your work.
- Set boundaries with yourself and your work colleagues regarding emails, so that you can take care of work communications only while at work.
2. Learn to say no.
You may love your job, but it’s usually unnecessary to be available to your boss 24/7. We all need a break occasionally, and there is nothing wrong with saying no every once in a while. Especially outside of your allotted work hours.
- This may result even harder if you are a people pleaser but remember that self-prioritization is important. Spending quality time with yourself or loved ones can be just as productive as working.
3. Work smarter, not harder. Instead of working all hours of the day, with very little rest, work smarter. Truly focus on the task at hand and avoid multitasking. You’ll get more done in a shorter time.
- Prioritize important tasks and do them first each day. This way, the most important things always get done.
- Avoid unproductive activities like unstructured meetings and avoid distractions, like checking social media.
- If you really feel like you need a break, take it! Rest and recharge are important factors in being productive. Without these, you won’t have energy to perform.
4. You don’t need to be perfect. Have you ever shut down the computer when you're done with work, but then start up your computer again, because you thought of a way to make a report or task perfectly? Sometimes, it pays to remind yourself that you and your work are good enough.
- Yes, it’s important to do your best, but remember that you are only human, and everybody makes mistakes sometimes. Once the mistake is done, the best thing you can do is to learn from it.
5. Focus on things outside work. For some of us, our work is our life, but what happens if one day we lose it? Where does that leave us? It may be a scary thought, but that is why it is important to have a life outside work and not let our job define our entire life.
- Develop some hobbies that interest you. Spending time doing something you love reduces stress and energizes you while relaxing and uplifting your mood. Add some quality time to your life!
- Don’t be afraid to try new things. While your job may feel like a “safe space”, it’s important to get out of your comfort zone. Who knows? Maybe you’ll find a new favorite hobby. And remember that everybody is bad when trying out something for the first time.
6. Make your own rules. There has been a shift in work attitudes, especially among younger workers. More people - even bosses and managers - are recognizing the value of work-life balance.
In the long term, happy employees are an integral part of a successful company. So don't be scared to come up with your own ideas that will help you separate your work from your home life and run them by your boss. They might agree!
Finding a balance between work and your home life can be difficult, but it’s well worth the effort! Taking care of yourself is the best way to be good at your job. If you want more information, contact us at info@capitaworks.com
