The importance of work-life balance

Or at least, the attempt of it!

As cases continue to surge and lockdowns elongate, here we are, finding a way to do everything from our haven. Secretly, thanking the Universe that in-person meetings are now calls. 

The world is settling into a large, remote working experiment with many employees doing so for the very first time. Even if you are somebody that did work from home often, these unprecedented times demand more structure to ground us with a feeling of normalcy we can cling on to. 

While remote working is fairly new for a majority of people, freelancers have been doing it for their entire career. This made me realise that we are all pretty much on the same page right about now – wondering how to strike that work-life balance. Over the last three months, whilst catching up with friends and peers, I began to notice the impact of having your routine indefinitely uprooted and started sharing with them my practices to stay rooted when I made the plunge. 

Having to unlearn your schedule and routine built over time is no easy feat.  Add social distancing and general anxiety to this mix and normal productivity is a big fat question. From work to workout, virtual socialising to online classes, we’re all always online and losing track of the world beyond. 

However, I had a few hacks that aided me in mitigating this stretch and I’m sharing them below. Let me know if they work for you. 

1. Set productive hours: I believe that work hours and productive hours aren’t the same, which is why I began identifying with the latter. 

Establish the hours you are the most productive and begin to leverage it. This is the time you spend on doing your core work. So if you are a writer like me, this time would entail you finishing your writing quota for the day. For example, I am a morning person and tend to do my best work then and therefore, work my schedule around it for optimised results. In the first half, I finish my core work (writing) and in the second, there is room for calls, lead generation, and client updates. 

This adds some sort of structure to my day and ensures productivity. 

P.S: If you have to work with a team, ensure you communicate the hours you will be available per day. If you and your company are flexible, you could also pick the number of hours you will work per day. Of course, this does not rule out work calls or other meetings but beyond that, make a list based on your productive hours and start crossing them out. for the majority of the day, set goals and a to-do list and accomplish them, one at a time. 

2. Repurpose time for self-care

The best part about not having to go into the office is that you are in control of the where and how you work. Of course, after avoiding traffic. 

It may have thrown off your schedule but try to not quit the habits you had worked on. Here, a flexible routine is key – enough to give you the space for a few important adjustments but keeping you on track otherwise. 

Yes, I’m looking at you. Don’t wake up and fire up your laptop in bed. 

Besides this, reclaim the time from commuting and workplace distractions to focus on you. One major drawback for some is the isolation they face when it comes to working from home, it is important to keep your inner harmony in these unregulated times. 

What helps me is having smaller practices spread through the day to regain my solitude. Meditation, reading, journaling and yoga do just that for me. However, opt for whatever floats your boat and leaves you calmer, happier and more positive. 

3. Unplug (and do it) 

Technology is a major boon for the most part. Nonetheless, it also means we’re “always available.” Which means, the workday never ends. What’s amazing is that once you establish your boundaries (Tip 1), unplugging is a by-product. 

Time management is integral in achieving this. Which also involves avoiding the many distractions remote working comes with. Not having a dedicated workplace can take a little practice. Make quality time, true quality time. Once you have set your productive hours for the day, learn to switch off after. This also means that you do not take unregulated breaks and procrastinate between tasks because then you’re looking at a neverending workday. 

Whether that means switching off your phone or disabling notifications to enjoy the moment. This will 100% reduce stress and increase the effectiveness in your productive hours. 

Initially, I was in sales mode throughout the day – posting links to my website on queries posted on networking sites and pages. Undoubtedly, It would leave me exhausted.

Become more aware of where you spend your energy and indulge wisely.

“Make the best use of what is in your power, and take the rest as it happens.”

Epictetus